Orlando Pride Soccer Player Barbra Banda, Who Is Cis, Is Once Again Receiving Anti-Trans Abuse
A Reddit user who claimed to have witnessed the incident said that Gotham FC fans “expressed bigotry” toward Banda during a recent match.
By Abby Monteil
Gotham FC, Orlando Pride, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), and the NWSL Players’ Association are addressing “hateful language” aimed at Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda during Sunday’s match between the two teams.
Banda, who is from Zambia, and plays on their national team, joined the Orlando Pride in 2024. This instance of alleged harassment comes months after she became the target of anti-intersex and anti-trans online bullying after she was named BBC’s Women’s Footballer of the Year last November. Shortly after the BBC’s announcement, anti-trans critics in the U.K. — including J.K. Rowling — began spreading a conspiracy that Banda, a cis woman, was secretly a “man” masquerading within the world of women’s sports. Much of this “transvestigation” stemmed from a 2022 incident in which Banda was prohibited from competing in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) because a “sex verification” test found that her testosterone levels were allegedly determined to be above what the organization had deemed a “normal” amount.
Sources familiar with the controversy told the AP in 2023 that mismanagement within the Council of African Football (CAF) and FIFA, the international governing body of soccer, was to blame for the situation rather than Banda herself, and WAFCON organizers reportedly don’t have a maximum testosterone level at all. Nevertheless, Banda has faced unfounded anti-trans vitriol over the past several months — including “hateful language” during the Orlando Pride’s March 23 match against Gotham at Gotham’s home field, the Sports Illustrated Stadium.
Reddit user @mitzibitsy claimed to be present at the game and to have witnessed the harassment in a March 24 Reddit post. “One fan got pulled aside by security after he cheered for Banda falling down and yelled, ‘She shouldn’t be on the field anyway!’” they wrote. “I was satisfied to see security speak to him, but all he got was a warning. In the meantime, this really ruined the game for me, and made me feel really unsafe in my season ticket seat going forward.”
Advocates have noted that attacks on athletes’ womanhood put women athletes at risk of violence, particularly women of color such as Banda and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif.
The Orlando Pride, Gotham FC, and the NWSL all spoke out against the incident in a series of March 24 social media statements.
“This behavior is unacceptable and has no place in our league or in our stadiums,” the Orlando Pride’s statement reads. “Barbra is an outstanding role model and an influential advocate for soccer both in Africa and here in the United States. We look forward to continuing to celebrate and support her on and off the pitch.”
The Pride added that “as a club, the Pride will collaborate with the NWSL and with Gotham to ensure that the proper action is taken to hold individuals accountable when violating the league’s standards.”
Gotham FC’s statement noted that “Gotham and the NWSL are working together to further investigate the incident and take additional action where appropriate under the league’s Fan Code of Conduct.”
The league’s Fan Code of Conduct states that “fans are strictly prohibited from using threatening, abusive, or discriminatory words, signs, symbols, or actions based on race, ethnicity, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, cultural identity, nationality, citizenship status, age, appearance, disability, and/or religion.”
Fans who violate the NWSL Fan Code of Conduct are subject to penalties such as loss of ticket privileges for future games, ejection without refund, and revocation of season tickets. According to the New York Times, Gotham FC is reviewing footage of the March 23 incident using stadium security logs, and the team has spoken to Reddit user @mitzibitsy about what they witnessed.
The NWSL’s statement reaffirmed that “we are committed to ensuring that our venues are safe and respectful environments for all — especially for the athletes who represent the very best of our sport.”
Soccer Star Barbra Banda Attacked By Transphobes After Winning BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year
J.K. Rowling delusionally described the win by the cis, Zambian athlete as the BBC attempting to “spit directly in women’s faces.”
“Barba Banda is both an exceptional player and person, and the NWSL is immensely proud to support her as a member of our league,” the league’s statement continued.
In a statement of their own, the NWSL Players’ Association emphasized that “there is no place for harassment or abuse in our sport, and we support efforts to address this incident swiftly and responsibly.”
“Soccer is built on principles of fairness, inclusion, and respect for human dignity,” the statement continued. “Any form of hateful conduct undermines these values and has no place in our fandom. Barbra Banda is a generational talent, and we are fortunate to witness her compete at the highest level.”
During a March 14 appearance on NPR’s All Things Considered, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said that the league has been working for the past few months to find a “technology partner who could help us to monitor all of the social media hate that many [players] are targets of.”
“There were a lot of lessons learned, both about things that we could have done better to support [Banda last year], internally and externally,” Berman continued. “[…] Hopefully, we’ll be in a better position to respond quickly if that happens again in the future.”
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