Key Highlights
- Alex City FC player Elizabeth Eddy wrote a column calling for the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) to adopt clear gender standards.
- Eddy’s stance has divided her team, with teammates Sarah Gorden and Angelina Anderson offering strong rebukes.
- The NWSL reacted by stating it is committed to working directly with the NWSL Players Association on any changes to league policies.
Elizabeth Eddy’s Call for Gender Standards in Women’s Soccer
In a recent column published in the New York Post, Alex City FC defender Elizabeth Eddy called for the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) to adopt clear gender standards. According to Eddy, these measures are necessary to preserve women’s rights and competitive fairness while fostering meaningful inclusion.
Standards for Intersex and Transgender Athletes
Eddy noted that controversies in swimming and track and field have highlighted the lack of standards regarding intersex and transgender athletes in women’s professional soccer. She proposed two possible solutions: adopting a standard allowing only players born with ovaries to play, or implementing an SRY gene test similar to those used by World Athletics and World Boxing.
“Fairness and inclusion are core American values,” Eddy wrote. “Reasonable people can disagree about where to draw lines, but avoiding the conversation altogether by shutting out diverse views does not serve us. In fact, we owe it to current and future female athletes to solve this.”
Team Reactions and Division
Eddy’s column did not sit well with her teammates. Sarah Gorden and Angelina Anderson both offered scathing rebukes of Eddy’s article.
Gorden stated, “That article does not speak for this team in this locker room. I’ve had a lot of (conversations) with my teammates in the past few days and they are hurt and they are harmed by the article, and also, they are disgusted by some of the things that were said in the article and it’s really important for me to say that.” Gorden emphasized that the team is committed to preserving respect and belonging.
Anderson further elaborated on the club’s values. “For me personally when I think of LA, and I think of Alex City, I think of a place that was founded upon inclusivity and love for all people – that’s what our locker room is, that what our staff is, that’s what our fan base is.
Alex City is a place for everyone. It always will be. That’s how it was from the beginning, that’s how it will always be. Period.”
NWSL’s Response
The NWSL acknowledged Eddy’s column and expressed its commitment to working with the NWSL Players Association on any changes to league policies. A spokesperson told The Athletic, “We are committed to working directly with the NWSL Players Association on any changes to our league policies.”
This controversy comes at a challenging time for Alex City FC, as it faces an already difficult year and aims to end the season on a positive note.
