United States: ESPN reporter Molly McGrath’s clapback to sexist remarks is inspirational for all women

October 11, 2020, San Francisco, United States -- Sportscaster Molly McGrath who is now almost full term pregnant took to instagram to refute sexist and body shaming remarks by a male follower.

The hurtful comment about her looks didn’t push Molly to hide: “I am proud to be a pregnant woman working full-time and I am proud that the monstrosity of creating a human life has not, and will not, slow me down.” she said during an interview with Yahoo Life.

“I felt that it was my responsibility to use this situation as an example and show women that they don’t have to be ashamed of their bodies, especially when they’re carrying life inside of them. It’s rare to see a pregnant woman on television, but shouldn’t television be a representation of the world we live in?” added Molly McGrath.

Sports journalism, being especially male centric can be a toxic work environment for women. Female sportscasters often deal with belittlement and sexist remarks. Being a woman journalist can be mentally tasking especially now during the pandemic with the pressure to balance work and family life. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is inspired by Molly McGrath and other strong female voices in the field of journalism. 

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Last night I was on my feet for over 6 hours straight, in the rain, and knew that I would only get 3 hours of sleep because of a last second flight change. For the first time, maybe ever, I let a cruel troll tweet about the changes of my pregnant body get to me. Here’s the thing: being pregnant is hard, especially as I enter my third trimester. My feet swell and hurt like I’ve never imagined and my back constantly aches. Not to mention the slew of other symptoms like nausea, heartburn, and exhaustion. I am making a HUMAN LIFE! The baby I’m carrying around could live outside of my body right now, and my strong ass body made that baby from scratch. Completely separately, the job of a sideline reporter is also hard with the travel, prep, hustle to get information, and reality that we never get into a broadcast as much as we could have contributed. But you know what, I wouldn’t change ANY of my circumstances in a second. I feel so incredibly lucky to have a job that I’m so passionate about, it makes me forget that a little human is kicking my ribs. I am proud to be a pregnant woman working full-time and I am proud that the magnitude of creating a human life has not, and will not, slow me down. Women are freaking incredible and powerful and anyone who doesn’t see that can kiss my big achey butt. 👊

A post shared by Molly McGrath (@mollyamcgrath) on Oct 11, 2020 at 10:01am PDT