‘Sophie Night’ Rallies Set To Converge Outside Portland and Minneapolis WNBA Arenas

Team owners in Portland and Minneapolis will need to behave this weekend. Sophie Cunningham rallies are coming to their cities.The aftermath of a rally earlier this week in Seattle to support Ms. Cunningham’s view against biological men competing in women’s sports, subsequent rallies are planned for Friday night in Portland and Sunday in Minneapolis where the Indiana Fever play the Fire and the Lynx.The public demonstration in Portland is being led by Washington-based activist Amy Sousa, who assisted in organizing the rally outside of Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena on Tuesday where a few dozen people held signs supporting Ms. Cunningham. The rally in Minneapolis will be led by XX-XY Athletics founder and former U.S. gymnastics national champion Jennifer Sey.The coordinated efforts represent an escalation in a growing sports-centric culture war, energized after two 16-year-old female fans wearing XX-XY Athletics shirts were verbally abused by a co-owner of the Seattle Storm for holding signs at courtside in support of Ms. Cunningham. Celeste Keaton was suspended for five home games by the WNBA and fined an undisclosed amount for her profane tirade.Ms. Sousa said a small rally had originally been planned in Portland, but vowed the gathering will be louder. “We were just going to do something quiet with just a couple of us, and seeing what happened to those girls, we just thought, we can’t be quiet,” she told Fox News Digital.The Portland rally is scheduled for outside the Moda Center before the Fever face the Fire at 7 p.m. local time. The Minneapolis rally will take place ahead of Indiana’s noon game at Target Center on Sunday.“I don’t want to be quiet about this,” Ms. Sousa said. “I want to stand in public solidarity with those girls. I also want to stand in public solidarity with Sophie and keep this momentum going.”While all of the friction in Seattle took place inside the arena, the rallies in Portland and Minnesota could get some pushback from a progressive fanbase. Ms. Sousa has organized previous events in the city, including a rally in November 2023 to support the U.S. chapter of Women’s Declaration International, an organization focused on protecting women’s rights based on biological sex. The event developed into physical violence with slashed vehicle tires and direct attacks on female activists on public sidewalks.“We absolutely expect opposition,” Ms. Sousa said. “Hopefully, we’ll see things go a little differently, because I do think the culture temperature is changing a little bit. The public outrage at what happened to those girls is heartening, as it should be. Now is the time to keep standing up and not keep it private, but do it loud, do it proud.”In Minneapolis, the involvement of Ms. Sey weaves a corporate thread to the courtside altercation in Seattle. The two teenagers at the epicenter of Ms. Keaton’s suspension both wore XX-XY Athletics shirts from Ms. Sey’s apparel company that has positioned itself as a commercial defender of single-sex sports and private spaces.Ms. Sey, the 1986 U.S. women’s all-around gymnastics champion, revealed the company has been working on a partnership with Ms. Cunningham to make her an ambassador for the clothing line.“She’s the perfect person for us,” Ms. Sey said at the time. “We have wanted to work with her for such a long time.”Ms. Cunningham, whose profile has risen dramatically as the defender of teammate Caitlin Clark, drew support and backlash after telling ESPN that her position was not based on animosity toward transgender people.“I think that I am here to extend love,” Ms. Cunningham said in the profile. “But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”Though the Storm apologized for Ms. Keaton’s actions and the WNBA leveled a suspension, Ms. Sousa said the reaction in Seattle showed her that Ms. Cunningham’s supporters should continue making themselves visible.“The public outrage at what happened to those girls is heartening, as it should be,” Ms. Sousa said. “Now is the time to keep standing up and not keep it private, but do it loud, do it proud, and be there again as cheerleaders and in support of all women and girls.”

‘Sophie Night’ Rallies Set To Converge Outside Portland and Minneapolis WNBA Arenas

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