England Chelsea Women’s soccer team striker Sam Kerr (31, Australia) and West Ham midfielder Christie Mewis (33, USA) are suffering from hateful comments on social media after they announced their pregnancy.
According to the BBC on the 20th, anti-homosexual comments are pouring in online after the news that they will give birth next year. Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor criticized the news, saying, “It is unacceptable that this will happen in 2024.
Chelsea and England defender Millie Bright wished Kerr and Mewis well and said social media should be a place to share love and joy. “It’s hard to understand how people can react like this,” she said of those who posted criticisms. “I’m a mom, too. A woman getting a chance to be a mother is the best news I can get in life.”
Chelsea also released a statement calling it “unacceptable and hateful homosexual comments,” and stressed that “there can be no form of discrimination in society, and we will not tolerate all abuse directed at players, staff or fans.” “We are a diverse and inclusive club that celebrates and welcomes all cultures, communities and identities,” the club said.
LGBTQ+ and 야옹이 advocacy groups such as Chelsea Pride also expressed their disappointment at the hate speech, emphasizing the value of love and unity. Former Arsenal, Manchester City and Scotland defender Jen Beatty, who appeared on BBC Radio, said, “I know how progressive women’s soccer is and how men’s soccer is not, but I’m still sad about this situation. It’s really frustrating to let social media platforms pour such hate speech on players.” England’s women’s team coach Sarina Viechmann, who was asked about the incident at a press conference on the 19th, said, “It’s very disappointing. They look really happy, and I hope everything goes well.” Social media platform Meta (a company owned by Instagram and Facebook) said, “We take the bullying and abuse seriously. We are creating new resources and tools to continue to deal with the problem, and revising our policies with the help of experts.”