Ben Shapiro

Ben Shapiro

Ben Shapiro said he doesn’t care for soccer, especially women’s soccer, but the conservative commentator proceeded to tear down the United States women’s soccer team, which recently won the World Cup final.

On the “Ben Shapiro Show” on Wednesday, Shapiro argued against the team’s fight for equal pay. Despite having four World Cup titles, and earning more revenue from things like jersey sales, the women’s team is compensated less than the men’s. Shapiro admitted that co-captain and joint top scorer Megan Rapinoe was a “very very good soccer player,” but insisted she would be getting fewer contracts if she were not a “very outspoken lesbian.”

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

“Megan Rapinoe is getting million-dollar contracts specifically because of her sexuality,” he said. “And because she’s a very very good soccer player. But let’s not make any mistake — if she were a very good soccer player and she were not a very outspoken lesbian, she would be getting fewer contracts because she is seen as a political figure. She’s sort of Colin Kaepernick. With actual talent in her sport.”

He doesn’t think the same about the team as a whole, though, saying they’re less skilled than teenage boys.

“I have no particular love for soccer, generally. I certainly have no particular love for women’s soccer, mainly because I care about skill level and women’s soccer is just not at the same skill level as men’s soccer,” he said. “Not even as teenage boys’ soccer.”

The fact that they’re asking for more money is “obnoxious,” Shapiro said, because it’s actually a great time to be a woman in America.

“We’re suppose to pretend that [Rapinoe is] actually quite charming and wonderful, and that it’s not obnoxious to live in the best time for women and best time for lesbians and the best time for women’s soccer in the history of the world,” he said. “And in the best country in the history of the world for any of those things. We’re suppose to pretend that actually she’s a victim and America is a terrible place so she could make more money, presumably. Pretty gross.”

Ben Shapiro says Megan Rapinoe is getting soccer contracts because she’s “a very outspoken lesbian” pic.twitter.com/bSH40zM08X

— Jason Campbell (@JasonSCampbell) July 10, 2019

Alyssa Fisher is a writer at the Forward. Email her at [email protected], or follow her on Twitter at @alyssalfisher

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’re near the end of our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we have a very ambitious goal of $127,000 by April 21.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a Passover gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Make a Passover Gift Today!

$90 $180

$360

Other amount