Soccer Player Jaelene Daniels Benched After Refusing
to Wear Pride Jersey
North Carolina defender Jaelene Daniels was benched for the Courageโs National Womenโs Soccer League gameย Friday nightย against the Washington Spirit after refusing to wear a gay pride jersey.
โWhile weโre disappointed with her choice, we respect her right to make that decision for herself,โ a Courage spokeswoman said in a statement.
In 2017, Daniels refused a U.S. national team call-up because of a gay-pride jersey.
Daniels, whose maiden name is Hinkle, was re-signed to the Courage last year. In a bizarre WOKE open letter to fans, the team apologized to the โLGBTQIA+ communityโ for re-signing the soccer star.
โIn response to the recent news of re-signing Jaelene Daniels, we as a club acknowledge the impact this announcement has on our community,โ the open letter said, ESPN reported.
โWeโve spent the past few days reading your messages and reflecting on our actions. We are very sorry to all those we have hurt, especially those within the LGBTQIA+ community.โ
โThe decision to re-sign Jaelene was not made lightly and included significant conversations between organization leadership and Jaelene,โ the letter added.
โThe priority expressed in those conversations is the safety of our players and maintaining an inclusive, respectful space for the entire team.โ
Daniels posted her own response on her Twitter account, emphasizing that she loves all people, regardless of โbelief system or sexuality.”
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OPINION
No one should be forced to wear a partisan jersey unless the person joins an LGBTQIA+ team.
This is an invasion of human rights.
The letter isn’t something I’d write but good for the team for re-signing her.
Mrs. Daniels had religious reasons for not wearing the shirt.
But, not for nothing, after PRIDE put on children’s drag shows and other obscene performances in parades, why should anyone wear a PRIDE shirt and be proud of it. That needs to be said. Please condemn what they are doing to school curriculums and entertainment.
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