P!nk Offers To Pay Bikini Bottoms Penalty For Women's Handball Team

Jul 26, 2021 by apost team

The musician P!nk is a true role model to everybody out there, especially women and young girls, who often feel the pressures of conforming to society's expectations. She often uses her platform to speak up on issues surrounding women, sexism and unrealistic beauty ideals.

In the past, she sent a strong message to her daughter, Willow, and young girls around the world when she recounted a conversation with Willow at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards. After the young girl had told her mom she was the "ugliest girl I know" and that she looked "like a boy with long hair," P!nk went on to inspire her daughter by showing her androgynous rock stars including David Bowie, Michael Jackson, and Annie Lennox, before telling her: "So, baby girl, we don't change. ... And we help other people to change so that they can see more kinds of beauty."

Well, P!nk is back at it, showing her support for female empowerment once again. After the Norwegian women's beach handball team were fined last week for refusing to wear bikini bottoms during their bronze-medal match against Spain in Bulgaria — instead opting for bike shorts — the team made international headlines as their situation drew attention to sexism in the sporting world.

After hearing about the situation, P!nk tweeted her support of the Norwegian women's sporting team, congratulating them on taking a stand. She also offered to pay their fines for them.

The singer isn't the only person to speak up about the issue, with notable female athletes weighing in on the sexualization of women in sport. Let's take a look.

For their bronze-medal game against Spain, the Norwegian women's beach handball team eschewed rules that demand female athletes wear bikini bottoms in favor of bike shorts. The European Handball Federation fined the team 1,500€ ($1,770)  as the shorts were "not according to the athlete uniform regulations." Abid Raja, Norway's minister for culture and sport said the penalty was "completely ridiculous."

Since the incident last week, the situation has made international news, with professional athletes weighing in on how the ruling is sexist as men are allowed to wear shorts when they play. The situation even caused female musician P!nk to weigh in. Writing on Twitter, the singer stated:

"I’m VERY proud of the Norwegian female beach handball team FOR PROTESTING THE VERY SEXIST RULES ABOUT THEIR “uniform”. The European handball federation SHOULD BE FINED FOR SEXISM. Good on ya, ladies. I’ll be happy to pay your fines for you. Keep it up."

P!nk is known for being one strong woman, so to see that she's now congratulating another group of strong women publicly is very fitting and lends a bigger voice to the Norwegian team's plight.  

The Norwegian team even posted to their official Instagram thanking fans, celebrities and anyone that has supported them since the news broke last week. Posting a team photo in which all players are wearing their preferred uniform of bike shorts, the caption reads:

"Thank you so much for all the support ❤️🥺 We really appreciate all the love we have received🙏🏼 You’re the best 👊🏼💥"

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The situation has brought the topic of sexism in sport to the fore once again. Former professional tennis champion Billie Jean King weighed in on the topic, noting that men's teams are allowed to wear shorts. She wrote on Twitter:

"The sexualization of women athletes must stop."

Adding to the conversation was co-caption of the Bath University handball club Emma Steggles, who told the BBC:

"I would feel extremely uncomfortable being made to wear a bikini to play a sport I love."

Meanwhile, Eirik Sordahl, the president of the Norwegian Volleyball Federation added, "In 2021, it shouldn't even be an issue," as reported by the New York Post. 

The Norwegian Handball Federation has been campaigning to have the International Handball Federation rules changed since 2006 to no avail. Commenting on the recent incident, the NHF said, according to the New York Post:

“We are very proud of these girls who are at the European Championships in beach handball. They raised their voice and told us that enough is enough.

“We are the Norwegian Handball Federation and we stand behind you and support you. We will continue to fight to change the international regulations for attire, so that players can play in the clothing they are comfortable with."

Athletes competing at this summer's Tokyo Olympics can choose various pieces of attire to play in, including bikinis, one-piece bathing suits, or T-shirts and shorts. The New York Post adds that a motion by the Norwegian federation to change uniform rules will be discussed in the next few months. 

What do you think about the Norwegian team being fined for not wearing bikini bottoms while playing? What about P!nk lending her support to the team? If you found this article inspiring, pass it on so others can read about it too.