A rally held in Minneapolis on Thursday evening, advocating for the protection of women’s sports, saw heated exchanges between participants and counterprotesters outside the Indiana Fever’s game against the Minnesota Lynx.
One individual, identified as a pro-transgender counterprotester, reportedly directed offensive remarks at supporters of Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, telling them they “should have been aborted” through a bullhorn. The man was observed wearing a T-shirt featuring the word “abortion” during the demonstration outside Target Center.
Separately, another counterprotester repeatedly labeled XX-XY Athletics, a women’s sports apparel company that advocates against biological males competing in women’s sports, as a “hate group” using a bullhorn.
Repeated Confrontation for Advocate
NCAA softball player Kendall Kotzmacher, who was present at Thursday’s rally, stated that the individual making the “aborted” comment was the same counterprotester who allegedly targeted her with a similar remark during the initial Cunningham rally in Minneapolis on August 2.
He had a megaphone and was just yelling everything about how awful people we are. At one point, I got told that I should’ve been aborted when I was younger.
Kotzmacher, a Minnesota native and softball player at Colorado Christian University, became an outspoken advocate for women’s sports after her high school team lost a state championship game to a team that included a transgender pitcher.
Ongoing Demonstrations for Women's Sports
The event on Thursday marked the second rally in Minnesota inspired by Cunningham’s stance. The inaugural rally attracted notable figures such as former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines, former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya, and XX-XY Athletics founder Jennifer Sey, alongside pro-transgender counterprotesters.
These demonstrations began after Sophie Cunningham publicly expressed her support for restricting biological males from participating in women’s and girls’ sports. Similar rallies have been observed outside Fever games in various WNBA cities, including Seattle and Portland.
Cunningham's Perspective
Cunningham has clarified that she is not involved in organizing these rallies but has commended attendees for exercising their right to free expression.
Earlier this season, Cunningham articulated her position:
I’m here to play basketball, but I’m also here to be me. I’m not gonna shadow that or hide or, you know, dim my light just because maybe people don’t agree with that.
