Breanna Stewart wants a safe space as transgender debate sparks rallies at Fever games
- Breanna Stewart believes the WNBA should remain an inclusive space for fans and players.
- Recent debates have arisen regarding the participation of transgender women in the WNBA.
- Sophie Cunningham of the Indiana Fever expressed opposition to transgender girls and women competing in women's sports.
- Rallies supporting and opposing transgender athletes took place outside the Barclays Center before a game.
- The New York Liberty defeated the Indiana Fever 109-102 during the game.
New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart has always seen the WNBA as an inclusive place that has served as a safe space for both its fans and the players. That’s been challenged lately. The WNBA has been the subject of recent debates on whether transgender women — people assigned male at birth who transition to align with their gender identity — should be allowed to participate in the league.
There have been small rallies and protests outside Indiana Fever games after the issue came to a head when Sophie Cunningham of the Fever said in an ESPN profile published last month that she was opposed to transgender girls and women competing in girls’ and women’s sports. There were a pair of peaceful rallies representing both sides of the transgender issue that took place before the Fever faced the New York Liberty on Saturday night.
“Knowing that rallies are happening on both sides shows the platform that the W has and the stunts for attention are just continuing to try and ride the wave that we have,” Stewart told a small group of reporters Saturday morning. “I want Liberty fans and even Indy fans that are going to come here tonight to be able to have this arena be a safe space.”
布里安娜·斯图尔特希望在变性人辩论中创造安全空间
纽约自由队明星布里安娜·斯图尔特一直认为WNBA是一个包容的地方，为球迷和球员提供了安全空间。然而，这一观点最近受到了挑战。WNBA近期关于变性女性——那些在出生时被指定为男性并过渡以符合其性别认同的人——是否应被允许参加联赛的辩论引发了关注。
在印第安纳费弗队的比赛外，围绕这一问题的集会和抗议活动相继举行，此事的导火索是费弗队的索菲·坎宁汉姆在上个月的一篇ESPN专访中表示反对变性女孩和女性参加女子体育。在费弗队与纽约自由队的比赛前，双方各自代表的和平集会也相继举行。
“知道双方都在举行集会，显示了WNBA的平台，以及为了吸引注意而进行的各种举动只是继续试图乘着我们的浪潮而行，”斯图尔特在周六早上对一小群记者表示。“我希望今晚来到这里的自由队和印第安纳的球迷能够在这个场馆中感到安全。”