Just when all the focus is on trans and the WNBA, the Los Angeles Chargers welcomed a pro-trans in sports brand to training camp on Sunday and even got Jim Harbaugh to wear the brand's viral shirt.
On the surface, the Chargers' "Women in Sports Day" appeared to be a standard community outreach event where young girls were introduced to the world of flag football, but if you dig a little deeper, you find TOGETHXR, whose cofounder is staunchly pro-trans in sports, promoting its catchy "Everyone Watches Women's Sports" slogan to unsuspecting fans who might not be aware of the company's pro-trans in sports stance.
It's unclear if Harbaugh, or any of the coaches or players who appeared in the shirts were aware of TOGETHXR's politics.
"Trans women belong in sports. There are no scientific studies that prove that there is significant physical advantage," TOGETHXR cofounder Jessica Robertson said in 2023.
Her fellow cofounders include athletes Sue Bird, Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim and Simone Manuel. Bird's ex-girlfriend, Megan Rapinoe, has been featured prominently on TOGETHXR's social media.
When asked by OutKick if it was aware of Robertson's pro-trans in sports stance and whether it endorses TOGETHXR's corporate stance on the topic, the team didn't address our questions.
"The Chargers are committed to helping open doors for young female athletes to build confidence, leadership and community through the game of football while also shining a light on the important roles women play in the sports industry," Josh Rupprecht, Chargers Senior Vice President for Communications & Brand Messaging, said in a statement provided to OutKick.
"Supporting the growth and visibility of women’s athletics has long been a priority of the organization. In 2023, the Chargers served as a primary driver in establishing girl's flag as a CIF sanctioned high school sport in California. The team now sponsors the 'Conquer Chargers,' a girl's flag club comprised of 35 teams and more than 350 athletes across three Southern California chapters, and hosts annual tournaments such as the Girls’ Flag Invitational," Rupprecht added. "This past July, two Conquer Chargers teams (14U and high school) secured national championship titles and were honored during training camp.
"Various brands were part of the theme days including Togethxr x Nike merchandise, exclusive Peanuts x Chargers merchandise by Homage, Chargers Social Club merchandise by WEAR and New Era and several local food truck vendors, among others."
Our question on what the Chargers' stance is regarding transgender athletes competing against biological females in flag football was left unanswered. The same question was also left unanswered by the NFL on Monday. Our request for comment from the league was met with silence.
We also asked TOGETHXR and Robertson whether there's been any change to the company's stance on the pro-trans in sports topic. Those questions were left unanswered as well.
In October, OutKick's Armando Salguero asked NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for the league's stance on biological males playing NFL Flag in the women's category. The well-seasoned veteran commissioner claimed he couldn't give OutKick an answer on the topic because the league hadn't discussed the topic.
Meanwhile, the league has massive plans for flag football heading towards the 2028 Summer Olympics where the sport will be featured. The International Olympic Committee will require a gene test to compete at the L.A. Games. The same test is now being used by the Women's Tennis Association.
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Will NFL Flag follow the same rules as the IOC has set for international competition? We're waiting for an update from Goodell.
As for TOGETHXR and its role in the promotion of flag football, there's a clear indication that there's mutual interest from Robertson's activist company and the NFL. In December, TOGETHXR declared on Instagram, while tagging NFL Flag, that "Flag football is getting its biggest upgrade yet."
What was that investment? It was that the "NFL is [flag football's] biggest supporter." Ian Trombetta, Senior Vice President of Social and Influencer Marketing for the NFL, made sure to slap a 'like' on TOGETHXR's post.
If you go back even further to February 2025, TOGETHXR declared that "the future of football is female." The NFL and NFL Flag were tagged in the social media post.
Will that future include biological males playing against the females? We're still waiting to find out.
