Former US soccer star Megan Rapinoe has spoken out in support of transgender athletes competing in sports. She shared her views during a recent interview with comedian and television host W. Kamau Bell.
The conversation covered transgender inclusion, fairness in athletics and the treatment of transgender people. Rapinoe argued that sports should not take priority over human rights and the opportunity to participate.
Her comments come amid renewed debate over transgender athletes in women’s and girls’ competitions. A recent controversy involving a high school cross-country team in Washington has brought the issue back into the national spotlight.
Megan Rapinoe Discusses Transgender Athletes With W. Kamau Bell
Rapinoe appeared on Bell’s podcast, Who’s With Me?, with W. Kamau Bell. The episode, titled “Megan Rapinoe on Sexuality, Soccer, and Showing Up”, was released on October 21, 2026.
During the discussion, Bell praised Rapinoe for supporting transgender people, including transgender women who want to participate in sports.
Rapinoe responded by criticising what she described as a lack of empathy toward transgender people. She also questioned the amount of fear surrounding their participation in athletics.
The former US women’s national team player said she believes the conversation should include basic humanity and the right to take part in sports.
Rapinoe Questions Arguments About Fairness in Sports
One of the interview’s main topics was whether transgender women should compete in women’s sporting categories.
Rapinoe challenged the argument that every athletic competition must produce perfectly equal conditions. She pointed to natural differences among athletes and noted that physical advantages already exist in many sports.
Bell supported her point by mentioning San Antonio Spurs basketball player Victor Wembanyama, whose exceptional height gives him a distinctive physical advantage.
Rapinoe argued that an athlete having an advantage does not automatically make participation unfair. She added that human rights and the chance to play should remain important considerations.
Her position reflects one side of a wider debate. Supporters of transgender inclusion often emphasise participation, dignity and equal treatment. Critics, meanwhile, raise questions about competitive fairness, eligibility rules and the purpose of separate women’s categories.
Washington High School Case Adds to the Debate
The interview took place as a transgender athlete’s participation on the girls’ cross-country team at Camas High School in Washington attracted national attention.
According to reporting by OPB and its public radio partners, the student competed in a boys’ junior varsity race on September 5 before joining the girls’ team later in the month.
The athlete subsequently competed in several girls’ races. The situation prompted objections from some teammates and members of the community.
On October 13, approximately half of the girls on the Camas cross-country team walked away from a competition rather than race alongside their transgender teammate.
The protest became widely discussed online and drew attention to Washington’s school sports eligibility rules.
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association has allowed students to participate on teams consistent with their gender identity for many years. The Camas School District has also said it must follow the applicable laws and rules.
The incident illustrates how questions about transgender inclusion can affect individual students, teammates, schools and sporting organisations.
Why Rapinoe’s Comments Have Drawn Attention
Rapinoe is a prominent former US soccer player who has also been known for speaking publicly about social and political issues.
Her support for transgender inclusion is consistent with her wider record of activism. However, her latest comments have attracted attention because they address a highly contested question in women’s sports.
The debate involves several issues, including access to competition, athlete welfare, eligibility standards and competitive fairness.
There is no single policy that governs every sporting level. Rules can differ between school competitions, professional leagues and international governing bodies.
As a result, discussions about transgender participation often involve both individual circumstances and the regulations of the relevant sporting organisation.
A Debate That Remains Unresolved
Rapinoe’s interview has added another prominent voice to an ongoing discussion about transgender athletes.
Her comments focus on inclusion, empathy and the right to participate. Other athletes, parents and sports advocates continue to argue that women’s categories must protect fair competition.
The Camas High School dispute shows that these disagreements are not limited to professional sports or national politics. They can also affect young athletes and their school communities.
For now, the discussion continues as sports organisations, lawmakers and families consider how eligibility policies should balance inclusion with competitive fairness.
