Twins All-Star Willi Castro shows public support for transgender community during Pride Month amid rising controversy about inclusion in sports

Days after MLB removed the Pride logo from its social media handles, Willi Castro showed support for the LGBTQI+ community, especially the trans community. The move comes amid controversy regarding the inclusion of trans athletes in sports.

The Minnesota Twins All-Star wore a black trans flag during Friday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays, but the Twins lost 6-4.

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Castro's support of the trans community comes when there's considerable controversy regarding Champlin Park's Minnesota softball state title. Marissa Rothenberger, a trans athlete, threw a complete shutout game in their victory.

Conservative political activist Riley Gaines, a vocal critic of trans inclusion in women's sports, disregarded the victory by making an insensitive remark about Rothenberger's identity.

"Comments off lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy," Gaines wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

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Gymnastic Olympian Simone Biles hit back at Gaines, alleging Gaines is being a bully for her apparent non-inclusive beliefs.

"You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser. You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!!. ," Biles responded on the same platform.

Sportscaster Sage Steele called out Biles for double standards. Steele pointed out that Biles hasn't competed against transathletes throughout her athletic career. Moreover, she mentioned that Gaines shared a locker room with a trans athlete, which Steel called "sick."

MLB analyst hails Willi Castro's support for LGBTQI+ community

Willi Castro debuted for the Detroit Tigers in 2019 but was released in 2022. The Twins signed him for a minor league deal, and he repaid the faith with impressive showings, particularly in 2023, when he won his first All-Star selection.

Castro's recent support for trans rights has sent a message throughout the MLB community. MLB has long been deemed a conservative sport, with many athletes and owners showing public support for conservative political beliefs.

Baseball Prospectus writer and analyst Robert Orr was impressed by Castro. Sharing the image of the Twins slugger on X, Orr captioned the post:

"Willi Castro rocks"

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Willi Castro hasn't been overly impressive this season. He has a respectable .255 average and has hit six homers, driving in 13 RBIs. Castro and the Twins play the third game against the Blue Jays next.

About the author

Safeer M S is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda, having delved into the sport professionally since 2024. His journey into baseball was sparked by Shohei Ohtani’s remarkable MLB performances, which ignited his passion for the game. Safeer’s enthusiasm for fantasy baseball further fueled his engagement with the sport.

Safeer supports baseball stars like Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, and Aaron Judge, with Shohei Ohtani's dual-threat dominance being his most memorable baseball moment. He admires Willie Mays for his athleticism and historic achievements in pinch-hitting and stealing bases.

In addition to his baseball expertise, Safeer is deeply passionate about combat sports, which he has been reporting on since 2022. His journey into combat sports began with Karate lessons in school, followed by boxing training. Films like Rocky 4, Never Back Down, and Warrior inspired his love for MMA, and witnessing Demetrious Johnson's victory over Kyoji Horiguchi solidified his commitment to the sport.

When not immersed in sports, Safeer enjoys playing football, working out, and watching anime or thriller movies.

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Edited by Bhargav