The controversy surrounding Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham’s stance on transgender athletes has only continued to grow, and now, a truck parked outside Scotiabank Arena has become a part of it. The truck, which was displaying a video about biological gender differences, was parked during the game between the Indiana Fever and the Toronto Tempo, with local police now having intervened.
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The truck, operated by Rebel News, displayed a video of tennis stars Serena Williams and Martina Navratilova discussing differences between male and female athletes. The outlet explained that the truck was being used by a driver named Mark when police approached the vehicle and asked him to turn the screen off. Pictures of the scene around the truck were posted to X by reporter Joe Warmington.
According to Rebel News, officers also issued a $615 ticket to Mark, and soon after, as the screen stayed on, a second $615 fine was given, bringing the total to $1,230. The outlet explained that the police “threatened more tickets” if the video continued playing, and they will be challenging the tickets in court.
Rebel News explained that they thought that the tickets were punishment for the video, but so far, there is no word from the police or the city of Toronto about what the fines were for. According to municipal regulations on the Toronto city website, any temporary mobile sign needs a permit. The Signs Bylaw even regulates the size and location of signs on public and private property. It is still unclear if the truck display abided by these guidelines.
In the aftermath, Rebel News founder Ezra Levant drove down to the location and explained what his next course of action was.
“I just thought it was an emergency. I sent a picture of the front of the ticket to one of Toronto’s leading criminal lawyers,” he told Warmington. “She wrote back to me very bluntly that that is an improper ticket, the improper law…But it gave me great confidence, and we have retained her. So, on the way down, she confirmed for me that the law, that this ticket is out of place, which is obvious. Trucks like this have existed in Toronto for many years. We’re the first ever to be ticketed with this. It’s obviously made up.”
This incident comes amid the increased spotlight surrounding Sophie Cunningham following her comments in an ESPN profile released on July 21 on trans athletes in women’s sports. She has seen both support and criticism from across the WNBA world, including multiple rallies taking place before Fever games when they visit other venues, with a fourth gathering scheduled for August 22 before their game against the New York Liberty.
Rebel News has also started taking donations on their website to pay the fines and help with the truck’s maintenance. The team added that the cost of keeping the truck operational is high, even without the legal costs of the tickets, due to fuel, security, and reinforcement.
Only time will tell how the legal battle goes for Rebel News, but the incident has undoubtedly added yet another flashpoint to the growing debate surrounding Sophie Cunningham’s stance on women’s sports.