We’re headed for a woke-off in the women’s soccer semifinals at the Tokyo Olympics.
Team USA, after besting the Netherlands in penalty kicks on Friday, is headed to the Olympic semifinals next week to face the women’s Canadian team.
Canada notably has a player on the team who identifies as transgender. A midfielder known only as Quinn, formerly Rebecca Quinn, is biologically female but identifies as male.
The team’s official roster and the Canada Soccer website list the soccer player with the singular name, Quinn.
In the Tokyo Olympics, under certain guidance, transgender athletes are allowed to compete against athletes of the gender with which they identify, as opposed to their biological sex.
Former male weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, for example, is set to compete against biological women with the permission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) though the weightlifter is biologically male.
Quinn, a biological female who identifies as male or “non-binary,” has not tried to participate on the men’s team, however.
Often sparking backlash, women on the U.S. team have repeatedly protested the nation they are representing, even during the playing of the national anthem.
Last November, for example, members of the U.S. women’s team wore Black Lives Matter jerseys and kneeled for the anthem in the Netherlands in solidarity with the far-left movement, The Daily Wire reported:
“We love our country, and it is a true honor to represent America. It is also our duty to demand that the liberties and freedoms that our country was founded on extend to everyone,” read a statement that members of the team posted on social media before the game, which ended in a 2-0 defeat against the Netherlands.
“Today, we wear Black Lives Matter to affirm human decency. We protest against racial injustice and police brutality against Black people. We protest against the racist infrastructures that do not provide equal opportunity for Black and brown people to fulfill their dreams, including playing on this team,” the statement continued.
“As the United States Women’s National team players, we collectively work toward a society where the American ideals are upheld, and Black lives are no longer systematically targeted.”
“Black Lives Matter,” the statement concluded.
All 22 players on Team USA last week took a knee in an “anti-racist” demonstration prior to kickoff against Sweden.
Other women’s soccer teams took a knee before kickoff, too, including Sweden, Great Britain, and New Zealand.
Star U.S. player Megan Rapinoe has stood by the protesting at the Olympics, despite the backlash.
“It’s an opportunity for us to continue to use our voices and use our platforms to talk about the things that affect all of us intimately in different ways,” Rapinoe said following the team’s loss to Sweden, according to The Associated Press.
“We have people from Team USA, from all over the country, from all backgrounds, and people literally from all over the world for every other team so I obviously encourage everyone to use that platform to the best of their ability to do the most good that they possibly can in the world, especially as all eyes are on Tokyo these next couple weeks,” she continued.
“We’re on the global stage, with the world’s media, and eyeballs and people’s attention, all drawn to one place with a collection of incredible athletes from all over the world, who care a lot about what they’re doing here in Tokyo in terms of their sport, and who care a lot about a lot of other things.”
Related: Megan Rapinoe Reacts To Backlash, Says Media Needs To ‘Get Better’ With Criticism Of Women’s Sports