News/Commentary

Christian soccer star Jaelene Daniels forced out of game for refusing to wear a Pride jersey

July 31, 2022 | | Print Article

North Carolina Courage forced Christian soccer star Jaelene Daniels to sit out of its NWSL game against Washington Spirit on Friday for having the actual courage to stand for her convictions and refuse to wear a Pride jersey.

Friday marked the Courage’s first Pride Night in celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community, and Daniels, 29, a devout Christian, decided her faith was more important than a game, according to the Daily Mail.

“Jaelene will not be rostered tonight as she has made the decision to not wear our Pride jersey,” a spokesperson for the team told WRAL-TV in North Carolina. “While we’re disappointed with her choice, we respect her right to make that decision for herself.”

“We’re excited to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community with our fans, players and staff tonight and look forward to hosting our first ever Pride Festival before kickoff,” the spokesperson added.

This isn’t the first time Daniels has deferred to her beliefs — a fact that caused controversy when she was signed with the Courage last December.

In 2017, the athlete refused to play a game for the exact same reason: She wasn’t going to wear the rainbows.

Daniels has always been vocal and consistent in her commitment to her faith.

Following the legalization of same-sex marriage in the U.S. in 2015, she tweeted, “This world is falling farther and farther away from God… All that can be done by believers is to continue to pray.”

And when she re-signed with the Courage in December, she expressed her love for her teammates and explained her position on the matter.

“In knowing these women, my love for them has never been based on their identity,” she posted in a statement on Twitter. “My love for each of these women is rooted in who they are as a person — I believe everyone regardless of gender, ethnicity, beliefs or abilities is worthy of dignity, value and love.”

“My beliefs may call me to live differently,” she said, “but my love runs deep for all.”

“I remain committed to my faith and my desire for people to know that my love for them isn’t based on their belief system or sexuality,” Daniels continued. “I pray and firmly believe that my teammates know how much I cherish them, respect them and love them.”

https://twitter.com/jaelenedaniels/status/1473824718440394752?s=20&t=C-eMTK9uZItOC3KUc693jg

Rather than praise her for her strength and courage, the Courage apologized to the woke mob for re-signing her.

“In response to the recent news of re-signing Jaelene Daniels, we as a club acknowledge the impact this announcement has on our community,” the team stated. “We’ve spent the past few days reading your messages and reflecting on our actions. We are very sorry to all those we have hurt, especially those within the LGBTQIA+ community.”

“The decision to re-sign Jaelene was not made lightly and included significant conversations between organization leadership and Jaelene,” the statement continued. “The priority expressed in those conversations is the safety of our players and maintaining an inclusive, respectful space for the entire team.”

As for Daniels, her unapologetic commitment to her deeply-held beliefs is probably best summed up in the tweet pinned to her Twitter profile.

“‘If you live for people’s acceptance, you’ll die from their rejection,'” she says, quoting Christian rapper, Lecrae. “Unashamed.”

Melissa Fine
Latest posts by Melissa Fine (see all)

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

Latest Articles