NWSL teams and players are blasting an op-ed published last week by an Angel City FC player calling for league-wide gender eligibility rules.
Angel City captain Sarah Gorden called the article racist and transphobic. The team said it does not represent the team’s stance. And the NWSL, NWSLPA, and Orlando Pride released statements supporting the star player whose photo was included in the piece.
On Oct. 27, Angel City player Elizabeth Eddy published an opinion piece in the New York Post headlined “National Women’s Soccer League must adopt gender standards to keep growing.” Eddy, 34, has spent 11 seasons in the NWSL and won three league championships, but has seen limited time on the pitch since joining Angel City in 2023.
Eddy wrote she is “concerned that without clarity about who the league is for, it will lose its identity and its momentum.” The NWSL does not currently have any transgender players—it has only ever had two, both of whom were assigned female at birth—but it also hasn’t had any transgender eligibility rules since Jessica Berman took over as commissioner in 2022, The Guardian reported in July.
In 2021, the league had said transgender women whose testosterone levels were “within typical limits of women athletes” could participate. Under that policy, athletes transitioning from female to male but “not undergoing testosterone hormone therapy” were allowed to play as long as they kept their testosterone levels under a certain level. “Athletes designated female at birth who are transitioning to male who undergo testosterone hormone therapy will be ineligible to compete in the NWSL,” the policy read.
Eddy did not propose bringing back the old policy, and instead argued the league should “adopt a clear standard” and “make the National Women’s Soccer League for women.” Eddy suggested two policies used by other sporting bodies: all players must be born with ovaries, or all players take an SRY gene test. (The researcher who discovered the SRY gene, Andrew Sinclair, has long opposed using the test to determine women’s sports eligibility.)
Angel City spoke out against the article last week, saying that “while we respect the right for an individual to express their opinion, it does not reflect the opinion of an entire organization.
“Since our founding, Angel City has remained committed to equity, inclusion, and belonging. These principles will always guide how we show up for our team, fans, and community.”
Gorden, the captain, said the article does not represent the Angel City locker room, and that many of her teammates are “hurt,” “harmed,” and “disgusted” by parts of the piece. She said the article’s undertones are “transphobic and racist,” particularly because it singles out an African player with a photo. The team shared the clip of Gorden and vice captain Angelina Anderson on their social media page with the caption: “Our captains spoke with courage and clarity. No one in our community should be questioned, harassed or targeted because of their identity.”
NWSL Backs Banda
Much of the response to the article from the NWSL community has centered around Barbra Banda.
Banda is a cisgender woman who plays for the Orlando Pride and Zambian national team. She is one of the best players in the NWSL and the world, recently voted by the global player’s union FIFPRO to her second consecutive World 11. Banda did not appear in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2022 tournament because she and others refused to take hormone suppressants. The story of what actually happened has been widely misreported and misunderstood.
Eddy did not name Banda, but the Orlando player had a major presence in the article. Directly below a photo of Banda playing for Orlando—the only player other than the author whose photo was used—Eddy wrote that “questions and controversy abound over intersex and transgender athletes.” The following sentence about “players” being caught in the crossfire links to three articles about Banda’s 2022 controversy, despite the fact that she is neither intersex nor transgender.
“Barbra Banda is a superb teammate, player and role model, and we are proud that she represents the Orlando Pride, our fans, and our community,” the Pride said in a statement Tuesday. “We look forward to continuing to celebrate Barbra and her future accolades, and to supporting her journey as one of the many incredible athletes in our league.”
“Barbra Banda is a top player in the NWSL,” the league said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that Banda’s contributions to the league and the Pride have been “transformative.” “Any harassment or hateful attacks toward Barbra are unacceptable and have no place in our sport, league or our communities. We stand unequivocally with Barbra and with every NWSL player.”
Banda has faced backlash throughout her career; it’s not entirely clear why she skipped WAFCON, even though she competed before and since for the Zambian National Team, including at the Olympics and Women’s World Cup.
In 2022, the Football Association of Zambia blamed the Confederation of African Football, which organizes WAFCON, saying Banda and other players’ testosterone levels were above CAF’s limits. “All the players had to undergo gender verification, a CAF requirement, and unfortunately [Banda] did not meet the criteria set by CAF,” said then-ZAF president Andrew Kamanga. A CAF official refuted that claim, saying the FAZ did not submit Banda’s name for selection or tell the confederation she might be ineligible. Moreover, CAF’s public gender verification guidelines don’t require any hormone testing. The FAZ fired back and doubled down that the players were being excluded because of CAF requirements. It’s not clear why doctors determined Banda was ineligible, and neither organization responded to questions Wednesday.
Banda’s agent in 2022 said the player never took any gender eligibility tests. But because of the confusion, many reports say she failed a gender test, including one from ESPN in July that is twice referenced in another New York Post opinion piece supporting Eddy.
The NWSLPA also put out a lengthy statement “condemning attacks on players” on Tuesday. “We stand firmly with all our members—including, and especially, the African women who have been targeted by divisive and demeaning rhetoric,” the union said. “Every NWSL Player was assigned female at birth.” That includes Banda.
Eddy went on “Fox and Friends” on Wednesday to talk about her article and the backlash. She said “a lot of players in the league have messaged me and reached out saying they do agree, but they’re fearful to speak up.” Eddy’s contract is up with Angel City, whose season is over after missing the playoffs.
