Gotham fans allegedly hurl transphobic abuse at star previously targeted by JK Rowling
Barbra Banda
Orlando Pride's Barbra Banda has once again become the target of transphobic vitriol among fans, despite not being trans herself.
"I attended the Gotham-Pride game in NJ last night and was shocked and disgusted by the fan conduct in my section (107)," Redditor u/mitzibitsy alleged via a post in the National Women's Soccer League subreddit. "Multiple Gotham season ticket holders expressed bigotry towards Barbra Banda that stemmed from the racist, transphobic conspiracies that were spread about her after she earned the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year award last year."
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The 25-year-old soccer star signed with Orlando last March. Since then, she's made one hell of an impact, even scoring the goal that led her team to victory in the 2024 NWSL Challenge Cup. She was named the Most Valuable Player and, as u/mitzibitsy said, was crowned the Women's Footballer of the Year by the BBC.
That honor drew unwanted attention from the type of transphobes who believe they can tell when somebody is trans simply by looking at them. And they decided Banda fit the bill, despite the fact that she is a cisgender woman.
Conspiracy theories insisting otherwise began to spread, spurred on by the likes of ultra-loud anti-trans activist J.K. Rowling .
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The NWSL and Gotham FC said that the incident is under investigation and that they will "take additional action where appropriate under the league's Fan Code of Conduct."
The Orlando Pride further added that "Barbra is an outstanding role model and an influential advocate for soccer both in Africa and here in the United States. We look forward to continuing to celebrate and support her on and off the pitch."
Although the statements were appreciated, concerned fans are still uncertain as to how the league and individual clubs plan to address similar situations moving forward. Several questioned why any involved fans weren't ejected immediately, although it's unclear whether anyone with the authority to do so was made aware at the time.
u/mitzibitsy, however, followed up their post alleging that Gotham's chief business officer reached out to them via phone to gather more details about what happened and the fans involved, leaving them with the impression that further action was indeed a possibility.
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"He assured me that he understands WHY this rhetoric was racist and transphobic (a nuance I had worried might get missed), and he said flat out that this is the opposite of the culture they are trying to build at Gotham," the Redditor wrote. "I felt really reassure by this conversation."
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Unfortunately, it would appear this bigotry and derision has continued to be directed Banda's way into the new year. After the reddit post gained traction, the NWSL, Gotham FC, and Orlando Pride all issued seemingly coordinated statements acknowledging "an incident involving hateful language."
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