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The Phoenix Mercury’s decision to feature a seven-year-old who identifies as “genderless” during a recent halftime show has blown up on social media and rightly raised alarm among moms and dads across this country. Video of the child—known online as Ren—dancing on the court while wearing heavy makeup and a dress went viral almost immediately, and people are asking whether professional sports should be used as a stage for this kind of spectacle.
Anyone who watched the clip can see this wasn’t a harmless kid’s trick; it was a staged, adult-style performance complete with false lashes, nails, and choreography that looks ripped from an influencer reel rather than a youth recital. Ren reportedly has a substantial Instagram following and has done paid appearances and music video work, which raises worrying questions about the commercialization of children in the name of “inclusivity.”
Conservative Americans aren’t attacking the child—they’re defending childhood. It is entirely reasonable to ask whether seven-year-olds should be paraded onto a professional court in adult makeup and costumes, or whether parents and organizations involved are prioritizing fame and a political message over the welfare of a small child. Social media commentators even called for child welfare checks and demanded answers, and that explosive public reaction shows how out of step this stunt is with mainstream family values.
This incident fits into a larger pattern where the WNBA and other cultural institutions seem more interested in performing woke politics than protecting the innocence of kids or promoting the sport. The league has publicly leaned into gender and inclusion themes in recent years, and critics say halftime shows and promotional events are turning into platforms for ideological signaling rather than family-friendly entertainment. Fans who just want a clean, competitive game are tired of having controversial social experiments shoved into the spotlight.
Sponsors and team owners should take note: alienating the very families that sustain sports franchises is bad business. The Mercury and the WNBA owe the public a full explanation of who approved this appearance and why a professional team thought it appropriate to showcase a child in this way during a game. If organizations keep prioritizing virtue signaling over common sense, they will lose both credibility and paying customers.
Lawmakers and child-protection advocates ought to ask hard questions about the blurred line between self-expression and exploitation. When minors are turned into online brands and invited onto national stages, there must be clear safeguards to make sure children are not being used as props in adult cultural battles. Parents can and should foster individuality, but civilization must not abandon common-sense limits that protect childhood from premature sexualization and commercialization.
If Americans want a restoration of decency, we must stop normalizing spectacles like this under the banner of “inclusivity.” Stand up for children, hold accountable the teams and leagues that enable these stunts, and support sports that keep the focus where it belongs—on the players, the competition, and families who expect wholesome entertainment at a professional game. The future of our culture depends on whether we defend the simple values that raise healthy, grounded kids.
