Trans Activists Confront Sophie Cunningham Supporters Outside WNBA Game

Pro-transgender counterprotesters directed an offensive remark at supporters of Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham during a rally outside the Fever’s game against the Minnesota Lynx on Thursday night. One individual, wearing a shirt promoting abortion, reportedly used a bullhorn to tell rally attendees they "should have been aborted."

Another counterprotester also used a bullhorn to label XX-XY Athletics, a company that advocates against biological males competing in women’s sports, as a "hate group."

NCAA softball player Kendall Kotzmacher, who was present at the rally, stated that the same man who made the abortion comment had allegedly made a similar remark to her during a previous Cunningham rally in Minneapolis on Aug. 2. Kotzmacher, an advocate for women's sports, shared that she had been told she "should’ve been aborted" during that earlier encounter.

The rally on Thursday was the second demonstration in Minnesota supporting Cunningham's stance on excluding transgender women from women's sports. The first rally, held on Aug. 2, drew public figures such as Riley Gaines, former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya, and Jennifer Sey, founder of XX-XY Athletics.

These rallies began after Cunningham publicly voiced her support for policies that restrict biological males from participating in women's and girls' sports. Similar demonstrations have occurred outside Indiana Fever games in various WNBA cities.

Cunningham has stated that she is not involved in organizing these rallies but has expressed appreciation for attendees exercising their right to free speech. She has also spoken about her personal stance, saying, "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."