What do the NCAA basketball Final Fours, U.S. Soccer’s SheBelieves Cup, USA Swimming and USA Diving 2024 Olympic trials all have in common? They'll take place in a state having laws hostile to women's rights.
the semifinals and final. The last SheBelieves Cup held ahead of a 2019 World Cup drew almost 78,000 across six games in Tampa, Nashville and Chester, Pennsylvania. “I cringe at the thought of having to fly to Austin,” Molly Dreher, a runner at Saint Mary’s , said, referring to this year’s NCAA Division I outdoor track and field championships, which will be held in June in Austin, Texas.
“I know I’m not making money and my fellow athletes aren’t making money — but the people putting it on are.”. It declined to comment on Indiana’s proposed total abortion ban . It also refused to comment for this story.But it isn’t so easy as saying organizations with women athletes should avoid holding events in states that have limited reproductive rights. The laws of a state reflect politicians, not necessarily the views of the people that live there, said Heather Shumaker, director of. Women continue to need access to reproductive health care regardless of a state’s laws, and national championships and other events can, if used as such, offer a platform to remind the public of that. “I’ve heard time and time again from reproductive rights workers that they don’t want folks to pull out from their states. They don’t want to be in isolation,” Shumaker said. “Using any opportunity to be vocal about the importance of abortion access” helps, Shumaker said. “Use your platform, whether that’s social media, wearing a wristband or an armband — whatever tool is in your toolbox, use that to uplift attention on abortion access.” Shumaker pointed to the Howard men’s basketball team, which selected Black maternal health and the impact of Roe’s reversal on Black women as its . On Sunday, a day before their game against Morehouse in the MLK Classic, the team put together pregnancy care kits with a local organization that provides support services to expectant Black women. leotards honoring late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader GinsburgPulling events from states that limit reproductive rights could also mean a missed opportunity to show young girls the power of sport.girls and young women who participate in sports are more likely to do better in school, avoid drugs and alcohol, and are less likely to get pregnant. It also potentially eliminates the opportunity to educate those young people about their rights — and those they’ve lost. U.S. Soccer said in a statement it is “aware of the serious issues in numerous states regarding abortion laws and female reproductive health.” While there are many factors that go into choosing venues, the federation said, “we will also continue to provide our players with the platform to speak on issues that are important to them and can have a positive impact in those locations.” “The most powerful thing we can always do is show up and not only express our supreme skill and talent and joy on the field, but to be able to have that platform,” Megan Rapinoe said on the day the Dobbs decision was announced. There is also the logistical reality. If organizations only held events in states that expressly support reproductive or LGBTQ rights, that would leave the Northeast, the West Coast and a handful of states in between. And not all of those states have the facilities necessary to host a major event. For example, the USA Gymnastics Championships, which are the national championships for acrobatics, rhythmic gymnastics, and trampoline and tumbling, requires an arena with a minimum of 40-foot clear height, as well as a warmup area with a 30-foot clear height. The venue for Olympic diving trials must have a 10-meter platform. The weather in Illinois is not conducive to hosting an international soccer tournament in February. In addition to competition requirements, there needs to be adequate hotel space, reliable transportation and food options. “I’ve got to choose a venue that is supportive of our potential Olympic athletes,” said Lee Michaud, the president of USA Diving. “That’s really what it’s about, nothing more.” Some events also have long, established ties to a city. The Women’s College World Series, for example, has been in Oklahoma City, home of the National Softball Hall of Fame, every year but one since 1990. Moving the tournament has the potential to alienate people — especially those who might agree with the Dobbs decision. Instead, Reyan Tuck, a softball player at New Mexico, said she’d like to see the NCAA create something like the, which works with players on issues such as voting rights and policing. “ is very important to me, but I also think we can do other things, such as wearing T-shirts with a statement on it, or getting patches,” Tuck said. “But moving an entire event for every sport, I don’t know if that’s realistic.” After North Carolina passed a “bathroom bill” in March 2016 that banned transgender people from using the public restroom aligned with their gender identity, the
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