Whether it’s a popped-up collar, a clean V-neck cut or a boxy boyfriend fit, there’s gender euphoria to be found in football shirts. 

WORDS BY ZOYA RAZA-SHEIKH
IN COLLABORATION WITH VERSUS
HEADER DESIGN BY JACK ROWE

Growing up, men’s football was all over the telly. My older brother was a massive Manchester United fan and would watch every game he could, sometimes I’d even watch with him. I loved seeing the players beeline across the pitch, socks pulled up over their calves, sweat-soaked shirts hugging their chests. I would examine their bodies and think: “Why don’t football shirts look like that on me?”

Gender isn’t easy to figure out. The world we live in primarily operates in a binary manner. Men, women. Straight, gay. They’re still very much considered the default – even more so in football, a sport that’s deeply rooted in old-school views of masculinity. So, it might seem odd that football shirts have provided me with an avenue to experiment with my own gender. Or is it? 

Back then, watching those games with my brother, I didn’t quite know how to describe the feelings I felt as I sat captivated by the slick movements of Louis Saha, Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes. But now, I’d call it gender envy. There’s no right way when it comes to figuring out your identity and where you fit in a world obsessed with labelling people as simply one thing or another. But for some reason, football shirts have always helped me on my gender journey. 

Shirts have become a core part of my gender expression – I feel more at ease with who I am when I wear them. They provide me with a level of comfort and breathability, both literally and metaphorically. It might seem somewhat trivial, distilling something so big as gender into a brightly-coloured 80s-inspired football shirt. But often it’s the small, everyday things that help us to make sense of the emotions we’ve struggled for so long to engage with – let alone make sense of. 

There’s an unquestionable euphoria in football fashion. Whether you want to call it ‘blokecore’ or ‘ladcore’, the revival of retro kits undoubtedly pulls on iconic British fashion that flooded the streets and terraces throughout the 80s and 90s. Today, both football die-hards and casual matchgoers are experimenting with kits – something we’ve also seen bleed onto the catwalk in recent years (will there ever be a better collaboration than Wales Bonner x Jamaica?). And while the blokecore trend might feel gendered, the style isn’t. It’s a lens of fashion that has been an escape, a place where I can find synergy between my outward presentation and internal feelings. 

Finding sanctity in football shirts was an unexpected port of call, one that caught me by surprise, even as a long-time football fan. Yet I can’t shake the gender-affirming sense of self I find wearing my beige Barcelona 2004-05 shirt. As your identity shifts – whether it’s labels, pronouns, or something bigger – there’s a want to create cohesiveness in how you feel and fashion is the easiest way to signify who you are. From pairing oversized baggy blue-wash denim jeans with a bright yellow 2010-13 Arsenal away number, to matching chunky silver rings with my crisp white Real Madrid top. In football shirts, for me at least, there’s no immediate call to dress femme, instead, you can play around with presentation. This level of openness has given me the freedom to pick and choose what feels best. A feeling I’ve not always experienced in either my surroundings or myself. 

How the Women’s Super League became the pinnacle of UK sapphic culture

As a South Asian baby masc, I’m used to comments of all kinds: ones to do with race, gender, sexuality, you name it. You learn to acclimatise (not always quickly) to the soft racism or how your eyebrow slit, thin silver chain or vocal joy for Chappell Roan can make people feel a bit uncomfortable. “It’s a bit much”, I’ve been told. The level of prejudice – and sometimes even abuse – I’ve experienced over the years for trying to feel at home in my own skin, is perhaps why I’ve never watched a men’s football match in person. 

We’ve all seen and heard stories about how homophobic and racist the men’s game is. Watching Manchester United’s first team with my brother might have been my football entry point but it’s the women’s game that’s welcomed me for who I am. I’ve found women’s football to be a space that’s more inclusive of diverse identities than most – I’d even go so far as to say that I’ve found a community. Being queer in women’s football, both for the players and the fans, isn’t the exception; if anything it’s celebrated. The camaraderie of the women’s game feels more like home for me because I don’t experience the same level of interrogation for wearing my oversized “men’s” shirts and gender-fluid fits.

Many of us spend years following our favourite players from club to club as they evolve with their teams. And while I can’t pull off striking Ballon d’Or-worthy shots like Aitana Bonmatí, I can empathise with growing through motions of change. In a way, through shirts, I do the same. 

Each one brings a different feeling – a sense of home and comfort for a different reason. Sometimes it’s an affirming colour choice or even a modest boxy cut that brings an unexplained feeling of ease for me. Football traditionally hasn’t been a space welcoming of people like me – those who don’t conform to gender norms. So, perhaps there’s some irony in me gaining as much comfort in shirts as I do. But if they help me get to grips with this beast called gender, then it looks like I’ll need to make more space in my wardrobe. 

You can read Zoya’s article on gender and football fashion at Versus here. 

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The Right Stuff is a brand new dating app for conservatives looking for love, since “other dating apps have gone woke”.

Ryann McEnany, sister of Trump’s former White House secretary press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, announced the launch in a video.

The Right Stuff is designed for those who want to “quit swiping, scrolling and trolling the wrong people,” according to its website.

McEnany said: “We’re sorry that you’ve had to endure years of bad dates and wasted time with people that don’t see the world our way, the right way.”

The Right Stuff has some rigid rules on who can join. McEnany made it clear: “By the way, those are the only two options: ladies and gentlemen”.

The app will also not use pronouns, as they’re “not necessary.”

Women interested in signing up don’t need to worry about paying for the subscription, it’s all covered.

“For my ladies, you’ll never have to pay because we all get premium subscriptions for simply inviting a couple friends. Gentlemen, if you want access to premium, that’s on you,” McEnany explained.

https://twitter.com/daterightstuff/status/1557462793732796417?s=20&t=-ie0tzog4fySp9c1rZWVow

Like a lot of dating apps, The Right Stuff has prompts such as users “favourite liberal lie” and “a random fact I love about America is…”

Several former Trump staffers are said to have been involved in the development of the app, according to The Hill.

The app was co-founded by John McEntee who was the personal aide to the former president and Daniel Huff, White House adviser and Trump appointee in the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Peter Thiel, tech billionaire and Trump supporter, has also backed the project.

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Lil Uzi Vert has subtly updated their pronouns on Instagram. 

Fans noticed the change on Sunday (17 July) although the rapper has not publicly addressed it. 

Many have began referring to the 26-year-old as non-binary, however being non-binary and using gender neutral pronouns are not synonymous.

Not all non-binary people use gender neutral pronouns and not all those who use gender neutral pronouns are non-binary.

Fans have shared their support for the rapper, with one user writing: “Waking up to Lil Uzi Vert changing their pronouns to they/them. Please be respectful to them. it’s not that hard to be respectful.”

Others have noted that the rapper has previously been accused of transphobia. Lyrics in their 2019 track That’s a Rack were cited in particular: “Check my DMs found out she was a man / I can’t DM never ever again”. 

The rapper is one of many artists to announce that they’ve adopted gender neutral pronouns in recent years. Others include Sam Smith, Demi Lovato, Angel Haze, Princess Nokia and Kehlani.

Earlier this year, the rapper was convicted of domestic abuse after their ex-girlfriend Brittany Byrd alleged that they assaulted her and threatened her with a firearm.

Pitchfork reported that they pleaded no contest to one count of felony assault with a firearm and one count of misdemeanour injury. 

They were sentenced to three years of formal probation, one year of treatment for mental health and substance abuse, and 52 weeks of domestic violence counselling.

The rapper must also pay restitution and comply with a 10-year criminal protective order.

The change in pronouns comes days after Lil Uzi Vert announced their forthcoming Red & White EP, which is due out in the coming weeks (an exact release date has not been confirmed). 

The project will serve as a prelude to their third studio album, The Pink Tape. Shortly after announcing the record, Uzi shared the single ‘Space Cadet’.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Lil Uzi Vert (@liluzivert)

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Jennifer Lopez has been praised by fans for using gender-neutral pronouns to refer to her child ahead of a duet at one of her shows.

During a performance in Los Angeles on 16 June, the Love Don’t Cost a Thing hitmaker welcomed her 14-year-old child, Emme Maribel Muñiz, to the stage.

“The last time we performed together was in a big stadium like this and I ask them to sing with me all the time, and they won’t,” J.Lo told the audience. “So this is a very special occasion.”

Throughout her introduction, the 52-year-old used they/them pronouns to reference her child.

“They are very, very busy, booked and pricey,” she joked, continuing: “They cost me when they come out. But they’re worth every single penny because they’re my favourite duet partner of all time. So if you will indulge me.”

The two went on to perform a cover of A Thousand Years by Christina Perri, as well as parts of Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen and J.Lo’s very own Let’s Get Loud.

Emme used a rainbow coloured microphone during their parts of the show.

Fans of the Hustlers star quickly took to social media to praise J.Lo for her use of gender-neutral pronouns.

“‘They’ is how Emme identifies,” one wrote. “This was J.Lo sharing that information. It’s beautiful to see her supporting her child.”

Another added: “I’m still sobbing.”

A third said: “Awww J.Lo respecting the pronouns.”

The concert Emme made a surprise appearance at was held to raise funds for education, homelessness, health care and social justice issues in Los Angeles.

@christinathesupermom Jennifer Lopez JLO surprises audience at at the Blue Diamond Gala by the Dodgers foundation. Excuse shaky camera at end I was in shock myself.#jlo #jenniferlopez #jloandemme #dodgersfoundation #bluediamondball #jlosurpriseguest #tmz #jloperformance ♬ original sound – ChristinaTheSupermom

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The Sims 4 has rolled out an inclusive new update that allows players to add customisable pronouns for all Sims.

This includes their subjective, objective, possessive, and reflexive pronouns.

EA and Maxis worked alongside the It Gets Better Project and GLAAD to ensure the feature was done appropriately.

It was first demoed in January and makes it possible to input custom pronouns in Create-a-Sim (CAS) mode, an option available to players for free from 24 May.

Although it is currently only available for the English version of the game, developers confirmed that further updates are in the works to improve the feature and support other languages.

Same-sex relationships have always been available in The Sims, though the fourth instalment included more LGBTQ+ inclusivity than ever before.

A brand new update to The Sims 4 is here ✨, & with the help of the @ItGetsBetter Project & @GLAAD, players can now add custom pronouns to their Sims in Create A Sim 🎉 pic.twitter.com/D5N1gvfNNc

— The Sims (@TheSims) May 24, 2022

This included pre-made LGBTQ+ Sims, Pride content and gender customisation options, the latter of which was also done in collaboration with GLAAD.

The rollout comes a year after a fan petition for pronoun options to be included was addressed by the team.

The game’s development team announced they were “working towards” making the addition shortly after the call for inclusion.

It's our first version that focuses on customizable pronouns in English, but our intent is to update & expand this feature over time across languages 🌎💚

Read more about the work put into today's update including how you can contribute: https://t.co/VUXHE5gQDD

— The Sims (@TheSims) May 24, 2022

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Liz Truss, who is a Conservative MP and serves as both the Foreign Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities, has called for an end to the “ludicrous debates” surrounding “statues and pronouns” in the UK following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking during the Conservative Party Spring Conference at Blackpool Winter Gardens on 19 March, the 46-year-old said the UK should be “proud of its longstanding commitment to freedom and democracy”.

“This is what is important, this is what matters,” she added.

Truss stated that she believes the Ukraine-Russia war means it is time to set aside what she referred to as “ludicrous debates”.

“Now is the time to end the culture of self-doubt, the constant self-questioning and introspection – the ludicrous debates about languages, statues and pronouns,” she continued.

“Our history, warts and all, is what makes us what we are today,” Truss also stated.

She also said that the West has a duty of changing who it relies on to function.

“We’re ending our dependency on authoritarian regimes,” Truss added. “The West focused on cheap goods at the expense of freedom and security. Never again.”

For months, Western officials reported that Russia was planning an invasion of Ukraine that could begin at any moment – something Vladimir Putin adamantly denied.

In the early hours of 24 February, however, Ukrainian officials stated that Russia had launched an all-out assault on the country, with troops crossing the border – leaving LGBTQ+ people fearful for what the future could hold.

Since then, Russia has faced an array of economic sanctions from nations like the UK in a bid to bring the conflict to a halt.

You can learn more about how to help LGBTQ+ people in Ukraine here.

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Tory MP and party co-chair Oliver Dowden called out what he referred to as “woke” ideology for weakening the West.

In a speech to the Heritage Foundation, a right-wing US think tank, this week, the former culture secretary said we should stop “obsessing over pronouns”.

He added that being “woke” was a “dangerous form of decadence” hurting us at a time when “our attention should be focused on external foes”.

“Rogue states are seeking to challenge the international order. And at the precise point when our resolve ought to be strongest, a pernicious new ideology is sweeping our societies,” Dowden stated.

“It goes by many names. In Britain, its adherents sometimes describe themselves as ‘social justice warriors’. They claim to be ‘woke’, awakened to the so-called truths of our societies. But wherever they are found, they pursue a common policy inimical to freedom.”

Dowden, a Member of Parliament for Hertsmere since 2015, went on to state that the ‘wokeness’ he spoke of is “in our universities but also in our schools. In government bodies, but also in corporations. In social science faculties, but also in the hard sciences.”

He also claimed that the West is “obsessed by what divides us rather than what unites us”.

The think tank Dowden was speaking to is considered one of the most influential in Washington and backed Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election.

The 43-year-old continued: “Neither of us can afford the luxury of indulging in this painful woke psychodrama… Too many people have already fallen for the dismal argument that standing up for freedom is reactionary or that somehow it’s kind or virtuous to submit to these self-righteous dogmas. Well, it plainly is not.”

Dowden’s comments were met with a mostly negative response online, particularly by left-wing government officials.

Oliver Dowden gave a speech to a US think-thank that peddles voter suppression, climate denial, anti-LGBT and anti-abortion views.

He has some cheek to claim it's the left trying to divide society and limit people's freedom.

— Nadia Whittome (@NadiaWhittomeMP) February 15, 2022

Labour MP Nadia Whittome said: “Oliver Dowden gave a speech to a US think-thank that peddles voter suppression, climate denial, anti-LGBT and anti-abortion views.

“He has some cheek to claim it’s the left trying to divide society and limit people’s freedom.”

Siobhan Benita, a former civil servant and candidate for Mayor of London, questioned where the funding for this trip to America came from.

“Why on earth is Oliver Dowden in Washington giving a speech to an organistion that – on its own website – denies the climate emergency, opposes abortion, attacks LGBTQ rights, opposes health care reforms,” she wrote on Twitter.

“Who is paying for this trip?”

Sue Perkins, broadcaster and former host of The Great British Bake Off, added: “Hi Oliver. Seeing as the term ‘woke’ is a manufactured construct of the right, could you please explain it?

“Also, your party is a sewer.”

Chris Bryant, Labour MP for the Rhondda, said the “speech is about as vacuous as can be.”

He added: “But it’s also dangerous. It implies we should all just tug the forelock to authoritarian views of the world. Liberty comes in many dimensions.”

This Oliver Dowden speech is about as vacuous as can be. But it’s also dangerous. It implies we should all just tug the forelock to authoritarian views of the world. Liberty comes in many dimensions.

— Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) February 15, 2022

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Norway is set to add a new gender-neutral pronoun to its official language and dictionaries within a year.

The Language Council of Norway confirmed that “hen” would be an alternate to the feminine “hun” and masculine “han” when referring to someone in the third-person.

Speaking to local media in the country, Daniel Ims, a representative of the council, explained that speech patterns did not initially justify the addition of gender-neutral pronouns – though this is no longer the case.

“Over time, we have seen that the actual use of hen has increased and stabilised,” he added.

This has been mirrored all over the world, with one French dictionary recently adding non-binary pronouns for the first time.

Similarly, the Merriam-Webster dictionary in the United States added “they” as a singular gender-neutral definition of the pronoun in 2019.

“Hen” could appear in Norwegian dictionaries as soon as the spring, something that Carl-Oscar Vik, a non-binary resident of Skien in south-east Norway, said they welcomed.

“I think that a normal person on the street doesn’t know anyone who identifies as non-binary,” they told The Guardian. “But I hope that by getting hen into the dictionary we can get the idea out there, because there are many people who don’t feel at home in certain pronouns but don’t have the words to describe it.”

According to Ims, the new pronoun may appear in the country’s dictionaries once a consultation phase of “all in the [Norwegian] language community” takes place.

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The Sims 4 developers hope to include customisable in-game pronouns and neopronouns for players to choose from.

Last week (18 January), the game’s developers announced plans to include pronouns during an online livestream.

The Sims 4 fanbase has long petitioned for the inclusion of pronouns to be added to the Sims franchise. Last year fans put together a petition calling for the social simulation game to include pronouns.

The page, which calls for pronouns inclusivity for trans and nonbinary sims, has gained over 22,000 signatures.

“Recent packs have been adding more gender-neutral language or choosing to call a Sim by their name instead of he/she, but the gendered language still lingers,” the Change.org petition reads.

The game’s development team announced they were “working towards” making the addition shortly after the call for inclusion.

During last week’s livesteam, The Sims 4 developers revealed that players will be able to create the name of their character and assign their pronouns on the “Create-a-Sim” screen.

Users will be able to pick from a selection of existing pronoun options such as “she/her, he/him, they/them” from a drop-down menu.

Players will also be able to enter custom pronouns from the same page. The option will include a profanity filter which will help prevent the option from being misused.

“It’s really validating to see your pronouns, I really can’t underscore that enough,” said game designer Rachel Gilbert. “It’s reassuring and it’s like a little checkbox – we’re all good here, we know who we are.”

Sims 4 developers are working alongside LGBTQ+ charity It Gets Better, GLAAD, Maxis, the developer of The Sims 4, to implement the LGBTQ-friendly changes.

“Our language shapes the world around us and how we interact with the world” explained Rae Sweet from It Gets Better. “The day that I tried on they/them pronouns for the first time was the day I was first ever able to recognise myself in the mirror. Which, as you can imagine is life-changing.

“I just know that giving people a space to play in The Sims and play with pronouns and be who they want to be just gives them so much room to explore and find themselves and be their true authentic selves. Especially in a society where they might not be able to in real life,” they continued.

Gilbert added: “I just think adding pronouns to the game will make [The Sims 4] feel even more welcoming and kind. It’s really validating to see your pronouns – I really can’t underscore that enough. It’s reassuring and it’s like a little checkbox – we’re all good here, we know who we are.”

According to Digital Spy, EA’s localisation lead Veronica Morales expressed hopes of implementing the gender-neutral inclusive pronouns functions across the 18 different languages the game is being translated into.

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Two pairs of parents are anonymously suing a school district over its policy to allow students to use their preferred names and pronouns.

On 24 November, the Kettle Moraine School District (KMSD) in Wisconsin had a 17-page lawsuit filed against it in the Waukesha County Circuit Court.

Acting on behalf of the angered parents, the anti-LGBTQ+ organisation Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and conservative law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) filed the complaint.

It claimed their constitutional rights have been violated by allowing children to be called by their chosen names and pronouns, regardless of parental approval.

The unnamed plaintiffs are seeking a declaration that KMSD violated their rights, as well as demanding that it be banned from referring “to students using a name or pronouns at odds with their biological sex” without the consent of parents.

“Nominal damages” have also been requested over the “violation of their constitutional rights as parents,” as well as legal fees.

According to the lawsuit, one of the plaintiff’s children “began to experience significant anxiety and depression, and also began questioning” their gender identity in December 2020.

The 12-year-old was then taken out of school to get mental health support which reportedly helped the child become more confident in their gender.

They then wished to be called a “new male name” with corresponding pronouns, which led to their parents contacting the school ordering them to disregard this.

When the headteacher responded explaining the policy of referring to children by their chosen name and pronouns, the student was withdrawn from the institution.

After being at home for “the next few weeks,” their “demeanor quickly began to change” which allegedly resulted in them changing their mind about transitioning.

They now go to a new school and use their birth name and female pronouns.

The lawsuit states: “She expressed to her mother that ‘affirmative care really messed me up,’ explaining that the rush to affirm that she was really a boy added to her confusion and fueled anger towards her mother, but after taking more time to process her feelings, she realized her mother had been right to slow down the decision to transition.”

A recent study suggested that transgender and non-binary people face discrimination in all aspects of their day-to-day life in the UK.

Published on 29 September, TransActual UK’s ‘Trans lives survey 2021: Enduring the UK’s hostile environment’ report aims to highlight the reality of living as a trans and/or non-binary person in the UK.

It was found that a shocking 98% of transgender people do not think NHS transition-related care is completely adequate.

In addition, almost half (45%) feel their GP does not have a good understanding of their needs as a trans person, a figure that rises to 55% for non-binary people.

This is something that was found to have a significant impact on respondents, with 57% of trans people saying they had avoided their GP when unwell due to a lack of understanding from them, as well as fear of discrimination.

You can read more from the study by clicking here.

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