Britta Curl-Salemme, a forward with the U.S. women’s national ice hockey team and the Professional Women’s Hockey League, re-entered the debate around transgender athletes after she collaborated on an Instagram video with a group working to keep transgender women out of women’s sports. Curl-Salemme and FIERCE Athlete, which aims to promote “true femininity in sport” and “empower female athletes to thrive in their God-given identity,” have been linked since the group announced her as a representa
Curl-Salemme and FIERCE Athlete, which aims to promote “true femininity in sport” and “empower female athletes to thrive in their God-given identity,” have been linked since the group announced her as a representative in September. But the video posted by both Curl-Salemme and FIERCE Athlete on Monday came weeks after the 25-year-old had distanced herself from social media activity that previously drew backlash from progressive fans of the PWHL.
In the video, Curl-Salemme, who is Catholic, walks through her Sunday morning routine. It shows her getting ready for the day, then her attendance at a Latin mass, and includes on-ice footage of the Minnesota Frost’s win over the New York Sirens. The video also shows Curl-Salemme reading from her Bible at home, and the post’s caption quotes Mark 10:45, which she calls her favorite scripture verse.
Though FIERCE Athlete branding does not appear in the clip, Curl-Salemme tagged the group on it. It appeared on the group’s Instagram page but has since been removed.
The PWHL declined to comment on Curl-Salemme’s involvement with FIERCE Athlete or the video’s use of its on-ice footage. The Minnesota Frost and FIERCE Athlete did not return requests for comment. A spokesperson for USA Hockey said representatives were on their way to the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics and were not available. Curl-Salemme is set to compete at the Games.
Ian Kennedy of The Hockey News first reported the latest collaboration between Curl-Salemme and FIERCE Athlete.
View this post on Instagram
Controversy has swirled around Curl-Salemme’s religion and politics since the run-up to the 2024 PWHL Draft, when the Frost selected Curl-Salemme in the second round.
In the weeks before the June 2024 draft, Curl-Salemme’s past social media activity began to circulate online. Internet sleuths found Curl-Salemme had “liked” posts criticizing Target for selling LGBTQ+ products and criticizing vaccine mandates. She also “liked” posts showing support for Kyle Rittenhouse, who fatally shot two people and wounded a third during unrest in Kenosha, Wis., in August 2020, following George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis. A June 2023 X post from Curl-Salemme’s personal account also voiced support for the barring of transgender women from women’s sports.
Curl-Salemme posted a video on X after the draft apologizing for the “hurt” caused by her social media activity.
“I specifically recognize that my social media activity has resulted in hurt being felt across communities, including LGBTQ+ and BIPOC individuals, and I just want to apologize and take ownership of that,” Curl-Salemme said.
Loud booing has nonetheless followed her from the draft stage to her pregame introductions and postgame interviews. At times, jeers can be heard when she touches the puck. In December, she spoke directly about the matter for the first time in a profile by The Athletic, arguing that she’s been misunderstood by her critics.
“If I was actually the way people say that I am, I would hope they would boo me. But it’s just not accurate,” she said. “The person that has been painted and what has been shared, that sounds like a s—-y person. Someone who’s racist, transphobic, hateful and wants people to not exist, I wouldn’t like them either.”
Curl-Salemme said that “liking” a post didn’t mean she agreed with its contents. She said she did not agree with a post she liked in which conservative Candace Owens said stores that carry LGBTQ+ products are “perverted.” Regarding Rittenhouse’s actions, she said she may not have all the facts, but did not support what he did. She also denounced supporters who have pushed anti-trans rhetoric while defending her.
“It’s just so gross and hateful,” she said. “If you’re just coming here to be rude or hateful towards someone, I don’t want you defending me.”
FIERCE Athlete founder Samantha Kelley has been outspoken about her views on barring transgender women from women’s sports, including in a July 2022 appearance on the faith-focused “Broken Halo” podcast to discuss the 50th anniversary of Title IX. While responding to a comment from priest and host Dave Dwyer that there seems to be more attention on improving the culture of women’s sports, Kelley highlighted participation by trans athletes as something that poses a “threat.”
“We’ve gotta keep going. I mean, there’s threats in other ways, like biological men trying to compete in women’s sports. That’s kinda the current threat, but we’ve had some victories as of late in that arena, so hopefully things are shifting in the right direction,” Kelley said.
Later, while discussing toxicity in college sports’ “play hard, party hard” culture, Kelley noted many young athletes struggle with eating disorders and body image problems. Among those issues, she said, is that “in the female realm, we do see a lot of women struggling with same-sex attraction.”
FIERCE’s podcast feed, which has not published an episode since 2024, previously ran a miniseries called “Fighting for Women in Sport,” which focused specifically on transgender athletes. The first episode of the series is an interview with Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer who is now a conservative media pundit. Another episode featured Paula Scanlan, another former collegiate swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania who gained attention for criticizing transgender teammate Lia Thomas. A third is with Macy Petty, who spoke out against facing a transgender opponent in college volleyball.
The show’s last episode was in May 2024, when Kelley interviewed Jennifer Sey, the founder of athletic clothing company XX-XY Athletics.
“All the other big athletic brands out there claim to champion female athletes but are either silent on the subject of males entering women’s sports or, in fact, on the wrong side of the issue,” the company’s website says. “How can a brand say that they champion female athletes and be ok with the idea of males stealing trophies, team berths and scholarships from hard-working female athletes? They can’t. They are selling out women for wokeness.”
Several other PWHL players have “liked” or commented positively on Curl-Salemme’s latest post, including U.S. national team players Haley Winn and Hayley Scamurra, as well as Frost teammates Kendall Cooper, Claire Butorac, Mae Batherson, Brooke Becker and Dominique Petrie. Tessa Janecke, a national team player and 2026 PWHL Draft prospect, joined them.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Minnesota Frost, Olympics, Women's Hockey
2026 The Athletic Media Company
Category: General Sports
