U.S. women’s national team defender Tianna Davidson said teammate Corbin Albert’s previous anti-LGBTQ social media posts have created “a difficult situation that has obviously impacted me personally, given the content of what she said.”
Davidson, who is openly queer, appeared on Sarah Spain’s podcast “Good Game with Sarah Spain” to explain how he felt about Albert’s actions, which included reposting sermons from Christian places of worship that preached that being gay or “feeling transgender” was wrong.
Going deeper
U.S. women’s national team player Corbin Albert has apologized for a social media post following criticism from Megan Rapinoe.
Albert apologized for his Instagram post, which was re-shared in March 2024. Since then, U.S. women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes has publicly supported Albert, saying at a June press conference that “there is no denying that a lot of work has been done behind the scenes to work with Mr. Corbyn.”
“I think it’s difficult because as a team we’ve always wanted to be welcoming to all our fans, to all the players that come into the dressing room, so to do that in our space is very difficult,” Davidson said on a Spanish podcast.
The USWNT has used its platform, both individually and collectively, to support a variety of topics, including transgender rights. At the 2022 SheBelieves Cup, players wore wrist tape with the message “Protect Transgender Kids.” The action took place during a game in Texas, when Texas Governor Greg Abbott, at the time, called children transitioning “child abuse” and instructed licensed professionals who work with children to report parents of transgender children to state authorities.
“Whether it’s something that comes from your upbringing or whether it’s something that’s been instilled in you from a young age and you just don’t understand, it’s something that can be hurtful to other people,” Davidson said.
“It was hard for me when it first happened, and it was also hard to hear how the fans were taking it because I want to represent the queer community really well on this team. I want them to feel really welcome and to be able to see themselves on this field with this team. I never want to leave them feeling like they’re not welcome here.”
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Davidson also said he believes Albert has “learned a lot,” echoing Hayes’ comments about possible private conversations taking place within the team.
“We all have to learn from the things we do in life and people’s reactions to them and understand the hurt we cause,” Davidson said. “I’ve always believed that people have the capacity to learn, to change and to evolve, and sometimes that takes very difficult experiences, and I think this is that moment for her. It’s up to her. But I think she’s continuing that learning and I think it’s important that she expresses what she’s learned, so I think it’s up to her in that respect.”
Davidson also spoke about how Hayes has worked with the team in the short time they have had to prepare for the Olympics in Spain, instilling more tactical flexibility in the squad and allowing them to adapt to different opponents’ tactics on the field.
“It really feels like playing a chess match … you’ll notice the differences, obviously you’ll notice players in different positions, but you’ll also notice the way you move the ball, the spaces you want to be in and how you get there,” Davidson said.
Davidson’s comments about Albert can be heard in full at the 26:44 mark in the Spanish podcast.
(Photo: Harry Howe, Getty Images)
