Utah Royals goalkeeper Carly Nelson has hit out at U.S. Soccer for keeping Korbin Albert on the U.S. women’s national team roster after her anti-LGBTQ+ activity on social media was discovered.
Albert has found herself in a firestorm over the past week, with several USWNT players past and present calling the PSG midfielder out for her actions.
Albert had already been named to the SheBelieves Cup roster prior to her social media activity being discovered, and she remained on the squad after a controversy that forced her into a swift apology.
USWNT pair Alex Morgan and Lindsey Horan addressed the situation with a statement to media on Wednesday, saying that they were “extremely sad” to see Albert not uphold the USWNT’s standards of inclusivity. They added that internal discussions among the team had taken place, which would stay private.
In a thread on X, Nelson said that U.S. Soccer allowing Albert to stay on the roster is sending a troubling message to the LGBTQ+ community.
As a queer player playing a sport – how are we not talking more about Korbin Albert being called into camp after demonstrating homophobic and transphobic actions? Her actions are creating an unsafe space for LGBTQIA+ players. A thread:
Korbin epitomizes what the LGBTQIA+ community continuously has to fight against. The US Soccer Federation continuing to give her a platform, diminishes the safety and comfort of queer players.
Her and her family have demonstrated a clear disregard for respect and well-being of queer individuals across the globe.
Korbin’s actions are not just a controversy or a one-time mistake; they are hateful and they reflect and perpetuate the systemic oppression of queer people in our society.
It’s sending a message that the Federation does not prioritize the creation of safe spaces for trans and gender-diverse players. This lack of prioritization to protect trans and gender diverse players – undermines efforts to promote inclusivity and respect.
By openly making fun of pronouns, liking and posting transphobic and homophobic things – sheds a direct light on the harmful and hateful ideas keeping trans and queer people unsafe in this sport.
Nelson spoke to Out Sports in 2019 about her experiences being raised Mormon while also being a lesbian. The 26-year-old said she finally felt accepted after coming out to her teammates at the University of Utah.
The goalkeeper has spent time with OL Reign, Kansas City Current, FC Nordsjælland, and Orlando Pride before joining the Royals in December prior to their inaugural season.
Nelson started the Royals’ first match of the season, before backing up Mandy Haught in the team’s next two games.
[lawrence-related id=58116,57866,56092]