Sophie Cunningham Rally in Toronto Draws Supporters Amid Tensions
April Hutchinson, a champion powerlifter from Canada, led the seventh Sophie Cunningham rally in Toronto. This marked the first rally outside the U.S. Cunningham supporters gathered at Scotiabank Arena before the Indiana Fever’s win against the Toronto Tempo. Many supporters wore XX-XY Athletics T-shirts.
Hutchinson shared that a small group of five people with pro-transgender messages confronted the Cunningham supporters. These individuals wore T-shirts with slogans like ‘protect trans kids’ and felt that some signs from Cunningham’s crowd were disrespectful.
The Toronto police played a role in ensuring the rally’s safety. Hutchinson mentioned that they contacted her before the rally to gather details and promote safety for those attending.
“Only about five were wearing protect trans kids and protect the dolls t-shirts, [they] walked by and said that our signs were disrespectful,” Hutchinson said.
However, the event did see tension between Cunningham’s supporters and local authorities. A mobile billboard by Rebel News, featuring Cunningham and Martina Navratilova’s message on fairness in women’s sports, led to the police issuing tickets. The infractions cited included displaying signs with animations and sounds against a municipal by-law.
Rebel News plans to challenge these charges legally. Meanwhile, a statement from the Toronto Police Department indicated they couldn’t comment further since the charges are under judicial review.
Inside the arena, Sophie Cunningham performed well, scoring three three-pointers and totaling 13 points. Despite her solid performance, she was met with boos from fans, as her stance on protecting women’s sports from biological males has proven divisive.
“I want to shout out the Tempo crowd, and the city, I think we had so much fun, it’s my first time being in Canada… but the crowd was absolutely amazing, and I think that’s what sports is all about, you’re going to get boos, you’re going to get cheers, but just the fact that they’re so passionate, they’re loud and they’re putting out for the city, I think it’s amazing,” Cunningham told reporters.
Two more Cunningham rallies are planned. These will occur during the Fever’s upcoming games against the Dallas Wings and the New York Liberty. Reporter Jackson Thompson explores political and cultural issues in sports for Fox News Digital. His work has been referenced in federal Title IX enforcement actions and various mainstream media outlets.