There is a reason that Megan Rapinoe only does interviews with people she knows won't challenge her.
asserted
she → be → her
It's the only way the former soccer star won't end up red-faced or storming off in a fit of rage.
asserted
star → end → rage
Her answers leave her too vulnerable.
asserted
answers → leave → her
Her comments sit on the summit of Mindless Mountain.
asserted
comments → sit → Mountain
Her recent sit-down with comedian W. Kamau Bell proved as much.
asserted
down → prove → Bell
Among the topics the pair discussed was trans people in women's sports, which Rapinoe has been a staunch advocate for.
asserted
Rapinoe → discuss → advocate
Here's how it started.
asserted
it → start → ?
"There's a lot of talk about how damaging trans women are to sports, so I give you credit for not being afraid to stand with trans people of all types, but also trans women in sports."
asserted
I → be → sports
"I am appalled, I think at just, like, the lack of basic humanity and empathy that people are showing and just the amount of fear and hate, and I just think the silence of athletes is a lot."
asserted
silence → appal → athletes
One could just as easily argue — or better yet, more convincingly argue — that she lacks empathy toward the women and girls who are losing competitions or sharing locker rooms with biological males.
uncertain
who → argue → males
Last week, I saw a girl forfeit her cross country season because she chose not to race against a boy.
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she → see → boy
She broke down in tears while hugging her mother.
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She → break → mother
Does Rapinoe feel empathy for her?
asserted
Rapinoe → feel → her
Megan might want to take that as a sign.
uncertain
Megan → want → sign
It's probably not that they're afraid to stand with her on this issue — it's that they likely disagree with her, as do most Americans.
asserted
Americans → stand → her
And unlike Rapinoe, who can't lose a spot to a male, these athletes are still active and under that threat.
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athletes → lose → threat
The interview continued.
asserted
interview → continue → ?
Rapinoe: "Yeah, and that example isn't happening, and I don't think it's ever going to happen.
asserted
it → happen → ?
I think there's a lot that trans people have to go through.
asserted
people → think → that
If you're a trans person in sports to even play, it's like you couldn't just say, one day, 'I'm a woman' and go play.
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I → play → sports
That's not how it works.
asserted
it → work → ?
That is exactly what happened with the high school cross country runner in Camas, Washington.
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what → happen → Camas
He started the year on the boys team, finishing 76th in a junior varsity race.
asserted
He → start → race
Then he switched to the girls team, where he's won one varsity race and finished second in three others.
asserted
he → switch → others
And not that it should matter, but he hasn't seemed to do anything to try and present himself as a girl.
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he → matter → girl
So, yeah, Megan — it's happening.
asserted
it → happen → ?
Rapinoe continued with the pièce de résistance: "And for me, one of the biggest things is God forbid somebody be good at sports and have some sort of advantage — and, by the way, sports is not fair in any sort of way ever.
asserted
sports → continue → way
Bell (clapping his hands): "Yeah, it's not meant to be fair."
asserted
it → clap → hands
Bell: "I always point to [the 7-foot-4 Spurs center] Victor Wembanyama.
asserted
I → point → center
Rapinoe: "What does that mean, even?
asserted
that → mean → What
It's already not fair, and also, just like, it isn't the most important thing in the world over someone's human rights or getting to play or being cruel to people.
asserted
it → get → people
I don't know.
asserted
I → know → ?
I've won everything at every level, and played, you know in sort of every competition, and I'm just kind of like, I'm the one who could speak to it.
uncertain
who → win → it
Like, I'm okay if God forbid a trans person play sports and they're halfway decent at it."
asserted
they → forbid → it
Yes, Rapinoe has won at everything at every level and played in every sort of competition.
asserted
Rapinoe → win → competition
But do you know what one of those competitions was?
asserted
one → know → competitions
Her U.S. National team playing a group of 15-year-old boys from Dallas and losing 5-2.
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team → play → Dallas
So, in that sense, she is uniquely qualified to speak to boys playing in girls sports.
asserted
she → speak → sports
She knows they'll kick girls' behinds.
asserted
they → know → behinds
But even more asinine is the notion that sports aren't meant to be fair — along with Bell's attempt to equate Wembanyama's natural advantages with those of a transgender athlete.
asserted
sports → mean → athlete
…and 9 more, not listed.
The Aporia
