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Various American athletes have been campaigning for women’s rights for years. The abortion decision of the Supreme Court now offends them all.
Actually, the US soccer players just wanted to talk about soccer before the weekend. Before the test match against Colombia, however, they were also concerned with one topic in particular: the Supreme Court’s decision to rip them off. In 1973, the Supreme Court allowed abortions throughout the United States before a fetus is viable, i.e. up to about 24 weeks gestation. Now the laws of the individual states apply again.
For Captain Megan Rapinoe, this decision is like a slap in the face. “It’s a sad day for me personally, for my teammates and for all the people out there who are affected,” she said. And stated: “Frankly, the majority male court that makes decisions about my body or the body of another woman is completely misguided and has no relation to the needs of the country.”
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Broad support from all over the sports world
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During her speech, Rapinoe can no longer hold back tears, she is so disappointed and irritated after the decision. “I can’t stress enough how sad and cruel this decision is.” Rapinoe was among 500 current and former athletes who signed a letter in support of abortion rights for the Supreme Court case last year.
On social media, Rapinoe has received widespread support from across the American sports world. For example, the WNBA (Women’s Basketball League) released the following statement to point out the dangers: “This ruling will increase economic, social and political inequalities and may lead to higher maternal mortality rates.” Tennis player Coco Gauff writes on social media that she is just incredibly disappointed.
The US athletes also receive support from the men. Basketball star Lebron James also vents his anger and is annoyed that once again it’s all about “power and control”. NBA League President Adam Silver writes: “We believe that women should be able to make decisions about their health and their future.”
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