US women’s sports star Sophie Cunningham speaking up on defending women's sports

[fromorbit]

Big development. In the US few big women's sports stars have dared to speak up in the defence of women having sports. Lots of coverage of this going viral. Demands that the WBNA [Women's Basketball league] take action against her.

Sophie Cunningham says it’s ‘common sense’ to keep trans athletes out of women’s sports

In the ESPN article, Cunningham said she wanted to “protect young girls in the locker room” and that “they shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”

“I said what I said. I think it’s kind of common sense,” Cunningham said before Indiana’s 123-88 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday. “And I think I’ll always believe in that. I think it’s really important to protect children, and that’s little girls who are also involved in that category. I stand on what I said.”

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7464960/2026/07/22/sophie-cunningham-trans-comments-womens-sports/

Trump Whitehouse speaking up in Cunningham's support so getting political.
https://www.aol.com/articles/sophie-cunningham-backed-white-house-003500000.html

Despite the recent Supreme Court verdict which said women can have sports a lot of Democratic leading states are continuing to say they should not have their own sports, but only mixed sex competitions.

Likely to be an ongoing political issue and be a topic in the upcoming midterms.

The furore this is causing and the number of pathetic men shilling for their fellow men, even if they have daughters they ought to be protecting, is both ridiculous and incredibly frustrating.

Obviously, it’s hard to judge as I’m not at all aware of the mainstream press reporting in the US, but I feel all this has had enough mainstream press by now that it ought to be settled. As in the UK, it’s obviously so deeply embedded in the political classes that it’s going to be a long hard road to get out, if we ever do.

Well done though, to Sophie Cunningham. It obviously still takes a lot of courage when the voices of criticism are still so loud.

Archive copy:
https://archive.ph/qYMG7.

I know. One particular man suggesting he is teaching his daughter to be inclusive over winning, whilst also having written in previous posts about his own success in sport. It’s obvious that many men really think women are second class.

Sophie Cunningham says it’s ‘common sense’ to keep trans athletes out of women’s sports

Is she quoted as saying this, or is it men that she thinks should be kept out of women's sport.

@nicepotoftea

Well as those who declare themselves trans are either 1. men or 2. women who may or may not be taking testosterone it means there are very few in that category who would be able to fairly participate in sporting competitions.

If you don't care about fairness... or safety...

No she doesn't say this, she talks about biological men.

In the ESPN article, Cunningham said she wanted to “protect young girls in the locker room” and that “they shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”

This is from the other article. It's quite clear she's talking about men.

She'll weigh in on how to "protect women's sports," she says, because she's in that world and feels qualified to speak to that world. "I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I'm like, 'I never once said that,'" she says. "I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn't have to go against biological men."

https://archive.ph/KVl8W

I have been following this. She is great, and she clearly gives no shits either. She has articulated her position really well (no, she does not want to stop trans people from participating in sport), and she is refusing to be browbeaten into reversing her position.

I'm not sure what your point is here.

Obviously athletes have to pass the same tests as everyone else regardless of their identity. Whether or not somebody were taking testosterone would be picked up in normal drug testing.

Female athletes who identify as men and non-binary have competed at an elite level in the female sports category.

I am not aware of any campaigning to make the male category more accessible to women who identify as men, but if you care about inclusion, maybe you should get the ball rolling? As long as competition is fair, I don't think anyone would object.

Yeah that is just typical media spin in the headline.

This is about women having sports separate from men. Cunningham knows this.

Most women in US sports know this. Many are just too scared to say what they think. It may be changing.

I'm so impressed with this young woman, the threat of doxxing and cancellation and silencing must be so oppressive, on top of the stress of the effort of staying at the forefront of her sport.
I believe she really walks the walk, putting her arm around teammates that she defends with her unvarying position, and a metaphorical protective wing to all females in sport.
I've read this is what the trans ideologues and their allies most hate about her, that like JKR, not only is she proudly speaking up and unambiguously calling out, but she's protecting those vulnerable females alongside her, under her wing.
Watching this as an observer who's life chances will never be threatened by this poison, my mind is drawn to all those male athletes who could say something in support...anything...but choose to stay silent.
Society now rewards cowardice, how far the West that was once brave and uncompromising has fallen.

Yes, I expect they were trying to soften “biological men”

Brilliant young woman.

I love Sophie Cunningham, she has a really ballsy attitude and is a bit of a wind up merchant in the best way. She fully knows that stating her position calmly and honestly will get them so frothed up they’ll show themselves.

"I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest.

This is clever, because it is hard to argue with 'love is truth' from a #bekind point of view.
It is a great slogan, I can see it catching on.

She is making great points. Just what is needed to be heard.

JKR has shared a post about Cunningham.

Honesty is now a revolutionary concept.

She's fantastic, and people are noticing that cancellation is no longer inevitable in these scenarios. Newsweek has this piece regarding her:
https://www.newsweek.com/sophie-cunningham-trans-women-sport-cancel-culture-12239387

https://archive.is/nUax9

I stumbled across Sophie Cunningham with those pointing reels ha, then when this all came about I just about fell in love with her! Love her confidence.

Fantastic article, thank you!

She’s launched a new pair of trainers today and they have nearly sold out - look at the colours! I imagine there will be some enraged little men on Reddit https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/other/sophie-cunningham-s-adidas-shoes-nearly-sold-out-in-under-24-hours/ar-AA28BAGP?ocid=BingNewsSerp

What a refreshing read that is, @InConniptions !

Love her...but that color is an acquired taste, lol.
Loving the projecting right back at the so-called endless reserves of love queer crowd.

I imagine these will now be changing hands for megabucks on reselling sites.

What a bloody amazing woman. If there is one tiny silver lining to this whole shitshow, it’s to highlight just how many fabulously strong and brave women there are.

And that Newsweek article is a cracker, especially the bit where the virtue signallers gallumphed to X with their opinions…only to find that no one backed them up. Cunningham wasn’t cancelled, didn’t lose her job, wasn’t forced into a grovelling retreat.

Delicious.

People could do with seeing what chaos was unleashed with a TIM on a US female college volleyball team. I read all about it on Quillette, and it was worse than anything you could imagine.
Poor Riley Gaines has been an open target for trans bullying since she came out against Lia Thomas, I'm sure Sophie Cunningham is pre-armed for the hate coming her way.