Jaelene Hinkle is a 26-year-old star for the North Carolina Courage professional soccer team and has been called the top women’s left defender in the nation. So why didn't she have a place on the U.S. women's national soccer team that just won the World Cup?
Most likely, it was intolerance toward her strong faith in Christ.
According to an article at washingtontimes.com, Jaelene turned down a call-up from the national team in 2017 for a pair of international games after learning that the players would be required to wear rainbow-themed jerseys in honor of Gay Pride Month. She said later that the uniform conflicted with her Christian faith.
"I just felt so convicted in my spirit that it wasn't my job to wear this jersey," she told "The 700 Club" in a May 2018 interview. "I gave myself three days to just seek and pray and determine what [God] was asking me to do in this situation."
That decision appeared to leave her blacklisted from ever playing on a national team. Her outspoken faith was first picked up on the LGBT's anti-Christian radar soon after the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges legalizing gay marriage.
"This world may change, but Christ and His Word NEVER will," Jaelene said on Instagram. "My heart is that as Christians we don't begin to throw a tantrum over what has been brought into law today, but we become that much more loving."
While Jaelene was sharing the truth of God's love, LGBT activists were becoming ruthless in their hate-filled attacks.
For example, SBNation sportswriter Kim McCauley called her a "vocal homophobe" while acknowledging that "there isn't a better pure tactical fit available than Hinkle."
BuzzFeed reporter Molly Hensley-Clancy on Monday tweeted, "Let's take a second to think about how Jaelene Hinkle might have missed out on winning a World Cup bc she is homophobic."
"It was very disappointing," Jaelene said about missing out on national team opportunities by staying faithful to her beliefs. "And I think that's where the peace trumps the disappointment, because I knew in my spirit I was doing the right thing. I knew I was being obedient. Just because you're obedient doesn't make it easy."
Sign our petition to Jaelene Hinkle, applauding her obedience to God's word and her faithful trust in Jesus Christ.
