Jaelene Hinkle Protested USWST's Decision To Support LGBTQ Pride — Former Teammate Ashlyn Harris Say She's Homophobic
Well, this is messy.
Getty Images A recently resurfaced interview with The 700 Club revealed Jaelene Hinkle declined the opportunity to play with the US Women's Soccer team because she refused to wear the team's jersey in support of LGBTQ pride — but there are more than a few holes in her story. Who is Jaelene Hinkle?
Let's look at what we know about this controversial player.
1. How it all began
According to People Magazine, a so-called "Christian activist" on Twitter posted a video interview with Jaelene Hinkle — which was aired on the notoriously conservative The 700 Club — in which Hinkle said that she ultimately refused to join the US Women's Soccer Team because they supported LGBTQIA Pride.
"I just felt so convicted in my spirit that it wasn’t my job to wear this jersey. And I gave myself three days to just seek and pray and determine what he was asking me to do in this situation," she said in the video. "I’m essentially giving up the one dream little girls dream about their entire life, and I’m saying no to it. It was very disappointing. And I think that’s where the peace trumped the disappointment because I knew in my spirit I was doing the right thing. I knew that I was being obedient and like, just because you’re obedient doesn’t make it easy.”
The outlet reported that the so-called "Christian activist" claimed that the USWST was "not a welcoming place for Christians" and Hinkle was eventually booed by Courage fans at games, who were waving Pride flags.
2. But a few people have called shenanigans on her claims.
Almost immediately, defenders of the USWST and members of the team themselves took to social media to denounce Jaelene Hinkle's claims.
Kyle Krieger — who is the brother of teammate Ali Krieger — immediately disputed the claims of the so-called "Christian activist," and said that the USWST was, in fact, a very welcoming place for Christians.
"As someone close to the team, I know this is false. The players have an inclusive bible study, they pray before and after the WC games, and they are open to whatever faith you follow. Not all Christians are bigots. Hinkle, on the other hand, hides her bigotry behind her faith," he said on Twitter.
And while, according to The New York Post, there are some open lesbians on the team (including co-captain Megan Rapinoe and Kyle's sister Ali Krieger), there are also very outspoken and devout Christians on the team, including Tobin Heath and Julie Ertz.
"Many women on the team, including high-profile players Julie Ertz and Tobin Heath, are outspoken Christians. Before and after each 2019 World Cup contest, several players would kneel in prayer circles. There are also five openly gay players on team USA, in addition to coach Jill Ellis. In the 2019 Women’s World Cup, there were 40 out gay, lesbian and bisexual women — 38 players, one coach and a trainer," reported the outlet.
3. This isn't the first time Jaelene Hinkle has made openly homophobic comments.
According to Fox News, who tried to paint Jaelene Hinkle as a sympathetic figure, this "conviction" of not wearing a Pride-themed jersey isn't the first time that she's made openly homophobic statements.
Back in 2015, Hinkle made an Instagram post in which she openly condemned the United States Supreme Court's ruling on same-sex marriage.
"I believe with every fiber in my body that what was written 2,000 years ago in the Bible is undoubtedly true. This world may change, but Christ and His Word NEVER will,” she wrote, according to the outlet.
4. Despite claims to the contrary, and contrary to Jaelene Hinkle's claims, the Bible itself does not condemn homosexuality as a sin.
There are several Bible passages that bigoted types often refer to when trying to claim that homosexuality is listed as a sin, according to the Bible. However, a closer look at the passages reveals that, literally, nowhere in the Bible is homosexuality openly condemned as a sin, and neither does the Bible encourage violence against homosexuals to push the word of God.
For example, in Genesis 19:1-14, and 24-26, the infamous story of Sodom & Gomorrah is told, and these are the passages most often cited by misguided religious types as "proof" that God hates gay people. However, the story is actually about inhospitality, and the residents of the town were engaging in the worst form of inhospitality — namely, rape. In the Near East cultures in Biblical times, warring armies would often use homosexual rape as a form of "conquering" other tribes. So, the homosexual act itself isn't condemned — it's the non-consensual aspect of the act that is.
And there are several other Bible passages that are often taken out of context, as well, with stories in Leviticus being a prime example. Theologian Janet Edmonds explains as follows:
"Many Christians want to remain faithful to God’s Word through the Bible. This has caused Christians who read the Bible without background information or cultural context, to have difficulty accepting homosexuals. They see gays and lesbians as sinners who need to change and repent or remain celibate. But when we study the seven scriptures typically used to condemn homosexuals, it’s evident that none of them have anything to do with consensual homosexual relations. At no place does the Bible refer to equal homosexual relationships, simply because such relationships were not recognized by Hebrew society when the Bible was written. Rather, the authors of the Bible directed the seven passages at the ancient Jews or early Christians to teach them to follow purity laws, to worship God and not idols, to be holy and honor God, and not to exploit vulnerable people sexually. These scriptures do not pertain to loving, homosexual relationships today," she said, according to her well-researched booklet.
5. USWST player Ashlyn Harris roasted Jaelene Hinkle for her comments.
When Ashlyn Harris found out about Jaelene Hinkle's comments, she wasn't having it. Instead, she took to Twitter to set the record straight, once and for all, about her team's attitude towards Christians — and roasted Jaelene Hinkle in the process.
"Hinkle, our team is about inclusion. Your religion was never the problem. The problem is your intolerance and you are homophobic. You don’t belong in a sport that aims to unite and bring people together. You would never fit into our pack or what this team stands for. Don’t you dare say our team is ‘not a welcoming place for Christians’. You weren’t around long enough to know what this team stood for. This is actually an insult to the Christians on our team. Shame on you," she wrote on Twitter.
And that's the tea!
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, and photographer whose work has appeared in People, Teen Vogue, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and more. She is also the author of The Uprising series. For more information about Bernadette Giacomazzo, click here.