US women’s national team star Tianna Davidson said teammate Corbin Albert’s anti-LGBTQ messages “impacted me personally” and that her peers at the Paris Olympics “learned a lot.”
Albert came under fire in March for sharing anti-LGBTQ social media posts on TikTok.
The 20-year-old had previously posted Christian sermons on the account about how homosexuality and “transgender feelings” are wrong – posts which resurfaced this week, sparking an outrage led by US soccer legend Megan Rapinoe.
The retired player posted to his Instagram Story, calling on “those who try to hide behind ‘my beliefs'” to “wake up!”
Davidson is openly gay and got engaged to girlfriend Alison Jahansouz in March last year.
USWNT star Tierna Davidson detailed how the actions of her teammate Corbin Albert have affected her. In March, Albert posted an anti-LGBTQ video on TikTok, which has since drawn a lot of criticism.
“I think with what she was talking about, this is obviously a difficult situation that has affected me personally,” Davidson said on “Good Game with Sarah Spain.” “I think it’s something you have to learn as a young player, especially with the platform that you’re given, how you express your beliefs and certain things is very public and people are going to see and hear it.”
“Whether it’s something she was raised with or something instilled in her from an early age, it’s something that she may not fully realize, but it has the potential to hurt other people,” Davidson continued. “I think she’s learned a lot since then, and, like us humans, we have to continue to learn.”
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“We have to learn from what we do in life and how people react to it and understand the hurt we might cause. I think it’s difficult because as a team we’ve always wanted to be warm and welcoming to every fan, every player that walks into our locker room.”
“That’s very hard to achieve in our space. But, you know, I’ve always believed in people’s ability to learn and to change and to evolve. And that sometimes takes very difficult experiences, but I think now is that moment for her.”
“That’s up to her to decide. … It was hard for me when it first happened and it was hard to hear how the fans were reacting to it because I want to really represent the queer community well on this team. I want the fans to feel really welcome and feel like they can see themselves on this field, on this team.”
“I never want them to feel like they’re not welcome here. I’m not one to respond to hate with hate. She’s one of my teammates and I respect that and I respect her as a player.”
Davidson and Albert are two of 18 women’s soccer players on the U.S. national team hoping to improve on their bronze medal performance at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.
