Sports journalist Grace Robertson explains what a powerful conversation, a game of footy and trans acceptance all have in common.  

WORDS BY GRACE ROBERTSON
IN COLLABORATION WITH VERSUS
HEADER DESIGN BY JACK ROWE

TW – Mentions of suicide and depression

Why do I write about football? On one hand, the answer is pretty simple: it’s fun, and I like doing it. I feel incredibly privileged that this is what I do for a living. But there are times when I ask myself, with everything that’s going on in the world, why do I write about football? Shouldn’t I be talking about things that truly matter like the injustices I and others experience as trans women? Wouldn’t that be a better use of my precious time on Earth, rather than writing about kicking a ball around? But that’s precisely why I write about it.

I wasn’t always a football fan. I was an awkward child, who shunned a lot of things I was supposed to do or like. But come the 2002 World Cup, at age 10, watching football seemed like a shortcut to fitting in. If I could talk to people about football, I had a way to seem normal. And so that’s what I did. From there, it really did hook me, but it also served its purpose. Football was a way of cutting through the awkwardness I felt as a closeted (even to myself) trans woman trying to work her way through male spaces. I didn’t feel like I understood most men or how I was supposed to relate to them. But as soon as I started talking about football, none of that mattered. It could fill any uncomfortable silence. It was a cheat code. I didn’t really know how to be a man, but through football, I could fake it until I realised I never wanted to make it.

The most popular sport in the world can drive new conversations. That’s why powerful individuals are so interested in it. Brands invest a fortune in associating themselves with clubs and players because it helps them cut through. Qatar wanted to host the 2022 World Cup precisely because it was a way to shape global perceptions about the country and access soft power. Some people in Newcastle suddenly held positive opinions about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia because the country’s Public Investment Fund bought their beloved football club. Little gets people talking the way football does.

But it’s also something I’ve been able to use to positive ends. If you want to reach people, you have to speak their language. And for an awful lot of us, that language is football. I’ve been able to build up an audience of people reading me because they want to know if Joshua Zirkzee is going to be the striker Manchester United are looking for, or if Arne Slot’s ideas will work at Liverpool. Trans issues aren’t really on their radar. For the most part, I don’t think people who start reading my work are particularly for or against trans rights; they just haven’t thought about it.

For all that direct advocacy has its values, I sometimes think the way for a minority group to be heard is to show ourselves existing as complete people. Activism is hard, important and necessary work to change the world. At the same time, trans people cannot only be seen as activists. If you can see us talking about shared interests, like football, that’s a totally different level to connect with someone on. I talk about trans issues now and again to an audience that isn’t here to seek them out, but is nonetheless one I’ve built a rapport and level of trust with. If I wrote exclusively about trans activism, I would never get their attention.

That might not be the most important reason to do it, though. When I first started questioning my gender over a decade ago, I asked myself if I could even continue to like football. It just felt like such a masculine culture, such a male trait that I could never embrace if I were to transition. Obviously, I can now see that this wasn’t true. But what I needed to see back then was a trans woman openly talking about football, being herself with the sport was absolutely a part of that. If I can show someone else that they can still be a trans girl and like football, that it can still be a part of their gender identity, I’ll feel like I’m doing good in the world. You can want to be a girl and talk about Spain’s aggressive use of wingers stretching the play. It’s fine to do both.

There’s a tweet that stays with me a lot. If you are transgender, the tweet claims, then, first and foremost, you have to live. An awful lot of trans people, myself included, have thought at times about ending it all (I’m doing a lot better these days, to be clear). The pain of gender dysphoria alone is enough to drive someone to desperation before even considering what the world thinks of our minority. The most important thing I can do for myself is to wake up every day, still here. After that, it’s important to show other trans people that you can thrive and live as an actual human being. I do that by talking about football.

For all that football is a game of kicking a ball around, it’s also a gateway to talking about everything else that matters. People can say “stick to sports” all they want, but they’re only closing off the avenues of meaning that it can create. What happens on the pitch is the start of the conversation, but it doesn’t have to be the end of it. Sport is a lens through which we can talk about pretty much anything and everything. It’s given me access to express my true self and talk about issues I care about in a public forum – that’s why we need more trans visibility in football.

You can read Grace’s article on trans visibility in football at Versus here. 

The post Why we need more trans visibility in football appeared first on GAY TIMES.

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. 

The post How football shirts help me understand my gender appeared first on GAY TIMES.

From seeking out your sporty gf to scouting the WAGS of the women’s game, the football gays and theys have found their pride and place in the stands of the women’s football queer community.

WORDS BY ZOYA RAZA-SHEIKH
HEADER DESIGN BY ANISA CLEAVER

There’s no place like the Emirates Stadium for an Arsenal women’s game. Gunners and Pride flags run alongside the pitch and red and white jacquard scarves fill the stands as fan-led chants take over: “We’ve got McCabe, Katie McCabe – I just don’t think you understand!” 

It’s a special atmosphere; one of like-minded football fanatics eager to support their favourite sport, but also there’s something different to the men’s league. Here, in the throngs of Gooners donning the pink and baby blue Stella McCartney kit, there’s an honorary team of LGBTQIA+ spectators, the queer football cognoscenti, rooting for their favourite North London ballers. From the choice of vibrant shirts to the in-the-stand convos about which player is dating who, women’s football really is sapphic culture in motion.

There’s a running joke that you’ll find your WLW other half at an Arsenal match. Paula Akpan, 30, is a long-time supporter of the women’s Arsenal team and has found a community in the sapphic culture and drama of the sport. “Once you are part of those sapphic circles [of women’s football] everything is very open [to interpretation] and feels like an inside joke that everyone is in on, even the Arnold Clarke Cup [an international women’s football tournament] has a whole reputation of being the lesbian cup!” Whether it’s the WSL (a league which replaced the FA women’s premiere league national division) or the many tournaments that surround it – like the Arnold Clarke Cup – the queerness on the pitch and in the stands makes these spaces integral for the sporty lesbians. 

Why do sapphics love the WSL? 

For many sapphic fans, football is bigger than a sport; it’s a community that offers queer visibility, player rivalries (whether against exes or current girlfriends) and, of course, tournament titles to fight for. Matches are more than cheering for your team in a heated club clash, they are an environment where the players’ real-life queer identity is expressed on the pitch. And, yes, this does include the heated exchanges between formerly dating players or backing your new celeb football couple.

So, whether you’re heading to Meadow Park or Emirates Stadium, there’s a few things to look out for when scanning for your queer, sporty clique: a flock of colourful football shirts paired with boyfriend baggy jeans and worn-in dad caps, sapphics holding hands and the classic (and very iconic) Arsenal’s rainbow-studded ‘Love Is Love’ scarf. This openly and unapologetically queer scene is part of what makes the WSL so unique. “I’m always overwhelmed with how many out-and-out queers, specifically sapphics, I see at these games,” Paula says. “When I’m at the Emirates, for example, watching Arsenal women, I’m surprised at how many couples feel comfortable out in public [and] that has, ultimately, become an acceptable avenue for sapphic culture.”

What’s next for the women’s game? 

Women’s football is gaining and unprecedented number of fans and selling out stadiums, with the Arsenal Women’s derby match against Spurs selling over 60,000 tickets . So, as the fan focus on the women’s game continues to grow, where does that leave the game itself? After all, increased visibility isn’t without its complications.

As the women’s game continues to grow, greater responsibility is needed to protect the players and the game. “We’ve identified women’s football is hitting a real tipping point, especially as popularity and interest go exponentially through the roof,” Paula says. “The sapphic speculation [over the sexuality of players and their partners] has greater ramifications for players who aren’t sapphic or aren’t interested in publicly sharing that part of their lives.” 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by GAY TIMES (@gaytimes)

It should go without saying: nobody deserves to be outed or pressured to speak up about who they are before they are ready to, no matter what their job is. Without fan accountability, we risk jeopardising the progressive atmosphere of the game. Players may feel less comfortable speaking about their connection to the LGBTQIA+ community while allowing speculation like this to go unchecked can breed unhealthy parasocial relationships between fans and their favourite players.

Why LGBTQIA+ representation on the pitch matters

While the WSL is a UK-based tournament, the football fever surrounding the competition has even reached overseas. Women’s sports content creator “coach” Jackie J, has become a go-to online commentator, with over 400k followers, for sapphic news in sports – including the WSL. 

“Queer people grow up with less representation in the media [which] creates this desire to simply see yourself in others, especially superstars – women’s football has a plethora of queer superstars! It’s amazing,” the 21-year-old says. When it comes to women’s sports, the game is generally more LGBTQIA+ inclusive – a huge selling point for communities and, now, the sports industry.

Today, we’re seeing LGBTQIA+ fans make up a visible presence among the supporters of women’s sports. As a result, sporting industries are recognising an opportunity to market to a new demographic, a move which will aid the investment in the game. In time, this will support the expansion and investment within football leagues (such as women’s only pro football stadiums and improvements to player welfare) as audiences and interest continue to grow which will, hopefully, guarantee an inclusive future for the sport. “Recently, loving women’s soccer has really become one of those tells [of a queer identity],” Jackie adds. 

Katie Davenport, 26, from Manchester has been interested in the women’s game after the 2015 World Cup. A combination of masc-looking players, who she read as queer, and a genuine interest in the sport started off her football fever. Now, she watches matches regularly and even collects WSL stickers. “It’s almost like walking around with a pride flag round your shoulders, that only other gays can see,” Katie notes, discussing the queer connotations of women’s football. “It’s if you know, you know, vibes!”

Similarly, football fan Naomi Goldenfield, 25, is pleased to see the women’s game getting more attention, from match coverage to even the inner-community chatter about player’s dating lives. “You see the likes of David and Victoria Beckham and other football couples getting attention from those not into football. My dad even tells me about the dating lives of Man City men’s players,” she says. “I think it is normal for people to be interested in the lives of players they like and the queer players in sports allow queer people to have their representation.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by GAY TIMES (@gaytimes)

How WSL players are bringing Pride to the pitch 

So, when you’re next at Arsenal’s Emirates, don’t be surprised when you see skipper Kim Little wearing a rainbow captain armband. In fact, many of the Arsenal squad’s LGBTQIA+ allies (Lotte Wubben-Moy) and publicly out players (Katie McCabe, Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema) have been vocal about their support for the community. It doesn’t end there, either. The club have their own club-recognised gay supporters group too, and with inclusivity broadening in the game, Arsenal players are also proud of the change coming to the sport.

“I feel a lot of pride being part of a club that has such a genuine connection to the queer community. As a team we really value it – it’s a precious relationship and one that we’ll continue to nurture and protect,” says captain Kim Little. “It’s incredibly important for the game to be a safe space for all, and it feels good that there’s that authenticity across the Arsenal family and in the WSL more broadly.”

Football is a game open to all, and that’s a sentiment that Kim (and Arsenal) want to continue to uphold. “I’m so glad to hear that people feel at home here. Through our actions, we want people from the LGBTQIA+ community to know that this is a club for them – we represent our supporters, whatever their background, and we strive to increase visibility and be as inclusive as possible.” Making a home within sport may seem like a small feat, but women have overcome institutional and cultural barriers to embrace the game as it is. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by GAY TIMES (@gaytimes)

What’s next for the WSL?

A lot has changed in recent years. There were days when women were banned from having a kickabout. In 1921, the FA put an end to women playing professional football, deeming it as “unsuitable”. Now, things are hugely different but, still, sexist attitudes towards the women’s games (and women in sports) persist. So are we surprised it has taken until very recently for women’s football teams to start selling out stadiums?

But there has been undeniable and, hugely remarkable, progress in recent years. The change of attitude towards the women’s game has allowed fans to confidently come together and celebrate a sport they love. With this rise in numbers has come an ever-emboldened queer contingent in the stand – and women’s football has become a sport that we can proudly enjoy and attend with our shirts and our pride flags on full display. It’s an atmosphere that encourages players to talk about their relationships too, whether that’s Alex Scott or Beth Mead, bringing a more inclusive atmosphere to the sport. 

That’s not to say though that women’s football is from perfect. There are pitch quality issues, scheduling problems, and player welfare concerns too. Despite the sport’s queer-friendly atmosphere, there are other areas where they are less than representative and teams like Arsenal and The Lionesses have been criticised for their lack of racial diversity. Individual players, like Lioness Jess Carter, have also spoken up over the sport’s lack of diversity – an area where the women’s sport is visibly trailing behind their male counterparts.

While, no doubt, the footballing infrastructure needs some work to build out a country-wide pipeline of talent from all backgrounds, women’s football has, fortunately, reached a stage where it’s embracing its queer audience. 

The post How the Women’s Super League became the pinnacle of UK sapphic culture appeared first on GAY TIMES.

The Women’s World Cup is loaded with LGBTQ+ stars and stories. We take a look at some of the names that have long advocated for visibility and inclusivity in the global sport.

WORDS BY PAULA AKPAN
HEADER BY YOSEF PHELAN

When the US women’s national soccer team (USWNT) crashed out of this year’s Women’s World Cup following the necessary dramatics of a dramatic penalty shootout, few would’ve anticipated it. They’d entered the tournament – this edition hosted by Australia and New Zealand – as champs, boasting over a dozen gold medals and cups in Olympic and The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) competitions. 2019 saw the USWNT pick up their record fourth World Cup title, while simultaneously tugging at the heartstrings of queer and lesbian women around the world because there were no two ways about it: queers were front and centre. 

Decorated player and vocal local lesbian, Megan Rapinoe co-captained a winning squad which featured a number of out, queer players including Tierna Davison, Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris –  with the latter two being engaged, and now married, to each other. The USWNT was guided to success by another out lesbian, head coach Jill Ellis. ‘Lesbians won the Women’s World Cup’, declared Buzzfeed News’ Shannon Keating while writer Jill Gutowitz tried to put words to why queer women were obsessed with the US team: “They’re heralded as such by queer women and straight sports fans alike. Some, like Rapinoe, have even been elevated to that coveted “athletic superstar” status. An out, conspicuously lesbian athletic superstar? That’s monumental.” Perhaps what is even more momentous is that the clamour around the 2019 US squad builds upon the queers who came before them, walking out on freshly trimmed grass in their countries’ colours decades ago. 

Football has long been coded into the Brazillian cultural identity with the nation earning a reputation for its flair-filled ginga style of play: dribbling, juggling and no-look passes which combine samba dance and the martial art of Capoeira, which can be traced back to 16th-century Angolan traditions. However, while Brazil’s men’s football team would go on to make a name for itself on the global stage and clinch two World Cup titles in 1958 and 1962, the women’s game had been prohibited in Brazil since 1941. 

Under the dictatorial leadership of President Getúlio Vargas, it was believed that women playing sports went against their ‘nature’, stifling the women’s teams that had become established across the country, with at least 40 in Rio alone. Though the ban would be lifted in 1979, football had become synonymous with virile masculinity, with women eschewing the sport for fear of being seen as masculine or, worse yet, “big shoes” – a derogatory term for lesbians. Yet, against this backdrop, a number of gifted queer Brazillian players would emerge.

Born just a year before the ban was lifted, Miraildes Maciel Mota – nicknamed Formiga – would come off the bench for Brazil as a 17-year-old at the second-ever edition of the Women’s World Cup in 1995. A year later, she’d meet her partner, Erica Jesus, but a likely combination of an athlete’s schedule, teenagers navigating love and lust, and enduring oppressive legislature and attitudes put things to an end. 

Establishing herself as a focal part of Brazil’s midfield, Formiga would earn her nickname – which translates as ‘ant’ in Portuguese – for her selfless style of play, reminding fellow players of how colonies of ants work together. Her impact is no doubt why she holds the record for appearing at seven different Women’s World Cup tournaments – and the only player of any gender to play in seven World Cups and seven Olympic Games. At 41, Formiga would become the oldest player to appear at a Women’s World Cup as part of Brazil’s 2019 squad. Though they were eventually knocked out by France, perhaps the bitter defeat and the ever-elusive World Cup trophy were softened by Formiga and Erica reconnecting in 2017, and tying the knot in January of this year. Reflecting on her career in a podcast, the legendary figure pinpoints the difficulties she faced with ease: “I had to work hard to conquer my space and prove who I was. Not only as a player but also as Miraildes Maciel Mota: woman, Black, Northeast, lesbian. And, above all, as a person who never thought of doing anything other than playing football.”

Across her tenure, Formiga shared the Brazillian dressing room with other lesbian footballing talents, from the prolific striker Cristiane and shot-stopper Bárbara to the legendary Marta Vieira da Silva. Simply known as Marta, she is easily the country’s most well-known woman footballer. Considered by some as the greatest of all time, a 17-year-old Marta burst onto the international scene at the 2003 World Cup held in the United States, aiding the team to the quarter-finals before they succumbed to Sweden. 2007 would see Marta make her mark. While Brazil would fall short, losing 2-0 to Germany in the final, the burgeoning star walked away a winner of both the Golden Ball, for her individual performance, and the Golden Boot as the competition’s top scorer, having netted seven goals. 

Like her former teammate Formiga, she would rack up her own records, including becoming the first footballer of any gender to score at five different World Cups and receiving the Best FIFA Women’s Player award six times. But, for many Marta fans, the impact of the rainha do futebol – queen of football – crosses beyond the footballing world. After Marta shared the news of her engagement to her partner and Orlando Pride teammate, Toni Pressley, on Instagram, it served as a significant reference point for Brazilian queer communities. “Being LGBT in Brazil is an act of courage. LGBT people like us are not safe on the streets, like Marta is not safe, simply for being LGBT,” explains Julia Santana, a council member for first division club EC Bahia. In the same year that Marta led her to France for the 2019 World Cup, a report by campaign group Grupo Gay da Bahia would find that 297 LGBTQIA+ individuals were murdered in homophobic and/or transphobic attacks, with a further 32 people dying by suicide.

Fame, ability, wealth and opportunities abroad, to a degree, insulate queer stars like Marta from the abject hostilities faced by the most marginalised. Even so, the real-life risk carried by out and queer players, a perceived threat to the nuclear family and heteronormative order, remains indelible. It’s why South Africa’s Eudy Simelane threw herself into advocacy work, including carrying out voluntary work with people living with HIV – she knew what it was to exist in the margins. 

Born in 1977 and widely referred to as one of the first women to live openly as a lesbian in her township of Kwa-Thema, the left-footed midfielder played for her local team, Springs Home Sweepers F.C., as well as the South African national team – the Banyana Banyana. Though her football aspirations would not see Simelane or South Africa feature at the World Cup in her lifetime, the beautiful game had long consumed her – she coached local youth teams and hoped to one day qualify as the country’s first woman referee. Having established herself as a key local activist, the news that Simelane had been sexually assaulted and murdered in April 2008 sent shockwaves through local and global communities. Despite South Africa’s emerging status as a trailblazing African nation where the rights of LGBTQIA+ people were legally enshrined, the murders of the local star and countless other conspicuous lesbians underscored a bleak reality. Entrenched societal values were more attractive than new legislative jargon – values which included ‘correcting’ queer women by any means necessary.

Though this year’s World Cup is the ninth edition to take place, it remains a tournament full of firsts. The first to be hosted by more than one nation, the first to see the number of participating countries increased from 24 to 32, the first to feature a footballer, Morocco’s Nouhaila Benzina, wearing hijab at a senior-level global tournament, and the first to see an out trans or non-binary footballer in the form of Canadian midfielder Quinn. They are one of at least 96 publicly out footballers in this year’s competition, meaning that over 13% of all athletes competing are queer.

Much like the wider sphere of women’s football, queer players are overrepresented at the World Cup. Tenderly dedicating goals to partners, like Colombia’s Linda Caicedo’s heart-shaped gesture to her girlfriend, and clambering up to the stands for a victory-sealing smooch in front of flashing cameras, as Alba Redondo did after Spain’s win over Zambia, have become common-place scenes. However, a willingness to live openly and intentionally during the world’s most prestigious tournament is taken by some as an invitation to pry and probe.

“In Morocco, it’s illegal to have a gay relationship,” began a BBC reporter during a post-match media conference in Melbourne with Moroccan team captain, Ghizlane Chebbak, and coach, Reynald Pedros. “Do you have any gay players in your squad, and what’s life like for them in Morocco?” Chebbak’s face, which flicks from marked discomfort to incredulous laughter in seconds, isn’t enough to deter the unnamed journalist. “No, it’s not political, it’s about people,” the journalist insisted after a FIFA official requested that questions stick to football. “Please let her answer the question.” His only response would be Chebback’s disbelieving shake of the head and her awkwardly fixed grin before the relief of the next journalist’s question.

Many have astutely dissected the interaction – the entitled invasiveness, safeguarding of potentially endangered players, the answer already laced in the question, and the slim likelihood that such a question would be posed at a men’s World Cup to name a few. What is most striking to me, however, how this exchange epitomises the dichotomies of queerness at the highest level of women’s football. Asking a deliberately provocative question, despite having already cited the danger, towards a team whose country religion is Islam, carrying the potential risks of demonising both the religion and a nation that sits beyond the West. Having access to a wealth of players who speak openly about their sexuality or gender identity, yet seeking out those who have not. One in eight players being queer, including team captains Daniela Montoya (Colombia), Sam Kerr (Australia) and Katie McCabe (Ireland), yet the rather innocuous rainbow armbands have been banned and replaced with eight FIFA-sanctioned armbands with deliberately vague phrases like ‘Unite for Peace’ and ‘Football is joy, peace, love, hope & passion’.

The contradictions are built into a sporting industry that has long-stifled women and LGBTQ+ players, let alone those who are both. From the governing bodies and federations to the media pack, to the fans and the wider public, the expectations and demands on queer footballers feel increasingly stifling, while offering little in the way of meaningful support and resources – codified anti-homophobic protocols and charters upheld by FIFA, working with queer players’ unions to ensure there are support systems in place for them, established pathways for up and coming queer and trans players. Stars, like Formingo, Marta and other names we’re yet to learn or may never know, have risen to the highest level of women’s international football in spite of the consuming violence that sporting bodies ignore; the same violence that stole Simelane’s future.

Beneath the meme-able moments and the reliable lesbian drama lies a sobering history – and enduring reality – of queer subjugation: an issue that will only become more urgent with future World Cup editions as more lesbian and queer players claim their places in the illustrious tournament that many of them had once only dreamed of.

The post Marta to Megan Rapinoe: Historic queer moments behind the Women’s World Cup appeared first on GAY TIMES.

Beth Mead has made history as the first women’s footballer to win the Sports Personality of the Year award.

Arsenal Women’s forward Mead has had an incredible year. The 27-year-old ranked as the top scorer and player at Euro 2022 tournament. Mead, who is part of England’s Lionesses, supported her team in defeating Germany to take home the trophy at Wembley.

Following Mead’s win, England cricket’s Test captain Ben Stokes was awarded second spot and Winter Olympics curling champion Eve Muirhead placed third.

“I’m incredibly honoured to win this award,” said Mead while accepting her award. “I wouldn’t have done it without the girls. The team have backed me. Yes, I’ve won this accolade, I’ve scored a few goals but I wouldn’t have done it without them.

“This is for women’s sport and women’s sport heading in the right direction. Let’s keep pushing girls, let’s keep doing the right thing.”

Taking to Twitter, the footballer also shared a heartfelt announcement: “Wow wow wow, still can’t quite believe it. Thank you so so much to everyone who voted for me, I am truly humbled & honoured to win such an iconic award. Women’s sport is well and truly on the up.”

𝘽𝘽𝘾 𝙎𝙋𝙊𝙍𝙏𝙎 𝙋𝙀𝙍𝙎𝙊𝙉𝘼𝙇𝙄𝙏𝙔 𝙊𝙁 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙔𝙀𝘼𝙍
𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮

Wow wow wow, still can’t quite believe it. Thank you so so much to everyone who voted for me, I am truly humbled & honoured to win such an iconic award. Women’s sport is well and truly on the up #SPOTY 🏆 pic.twitter.com/NaaEWkuKPT

— Beth Mead (@bmeado9) December 22, 2022

Mead has had a stand out year. Alongside England’s Euro 2022 win, the footballer won the Golden Boot with six goals and five assists.

The Euros win marked the first big league trophy for the Lionesses and first win since the men won the 1966 World Cup, according to BBC Sport.

Mead was also named Arsenal’s player of the season and came second for the prestigious the Ballon d’Or Feminin award.

Keep reading to see which other sportspeople were honoured at the Sports Personality of the Year awards.

Helen Rollason Award: Rob Burrow

Coach of the Year: Sarina Wiegman

Team of the Year: England Women

Young Sports Personality of the Year: Jessica Gadirova

Lifetime Achievement: Usain Bolt

Unsung Hero: Mike Alden

World Sport Star: Lionel Messi

The post Beth Mead crowned Sports Personality of the Year 2022 appeared first on GAY TIMES.

Jill Scott talked about the different experiences that LGBTQ+ men and women footballers have with coming out.

The retired midfielder was asked what it’s like to be gay footballer by campmate Seann Walsh on ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’.

She responded that gay women footballers have an easier time than their male counterparts.

“In the men’s game, it’s so difficult,” she explained. “If you think about how much stick they get from chants… it’s just not a safe environment, where they feel safe enough to do that. And that’s so sad.

“But yeah in women’s football it’s just never an issue. Some have partners that are female, some are married to men.”

The Lioness has been open about her sexuality throughout her football career. She was a proud member of the winning England 2022 Women’s Euro’s team and announced her engagement to partner Shelly Unitt in 2020.

Jill is a firm fan favourite on the gruelling ITV game show, and the bookies favourite to win.

The show’s viewers have praised her, declaring her a role model for LGBTQ+ people and women passionate about football.

https://twitter.com/RyanGSoapKing11/status/1594813169742004225

Jill Scott should be given the Jungle Queen crown right now. Happy, non complaining, brave & practical, good humoured, caring and generous. @JillScottJS8 #ImACeleb

A wonderful camp mate.

— Danny Baker (@prodnose) November 17, 2022

Her other LGBTQ+ camp mate, Boy George, said other people are more preoccupied with his sexuality than he is.

“I find it’s more other people ask about it, I’m busy being myself,” he said.

“I think when you get to the point where it’s like not a question…In my head it’s just simple, you find someone, you fall in love with them, if it’s a woman, a man, but I don’t think it defines you at all,” Jill responded.

The 35-year-old is the final female contestant left on the show.

More of Jill in Mike’s budgie smugglers coming right up 🩲🏕️
Wow, we can’t thank everyone enough for voting 🥹🗳️

Doing it for the girls now 💃💪 #ImACeleb pic.twitter.com/E5WKYfr88j

— Jill Scott MBE (@JillScottJS8) November 21, 2022

‘I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!’ is currently airing on ITV.

The post Jill Scott: ‘Men’s football isn’t a ‘safe space’ for LGBTQ+ players’ appeared first on GAY TIMES.

England celebrated a triumphant victory against Luxembourg in the women’s World Cup qualifiers, winning 10-0.

A place in the World Cup was already secured for the side, as eight players scored a total of 10 goals.

Georgia Stanway and Bethany England scored two goals each.

Euro 2022 Golden Boot recipient Beth Mead scored another, whilst assisting with two other goals.

Nikita Parris, Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp, Rachel Daly, Alessia Russo completed the scoresheet.

The landslide win followed the stunning success of the Euros, where the Lionesses brought the win home.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Lionesses (@lionesses)

Recently retired midfielder Jill Scott brought the European Champions trophy ahead of kick-off.

So far the team has had a 100% success record with current manager, Sarina Weigman.

“I don’t think it could be much better than this, so really happy,” she told BBC Sport.

“After the Euros it always seems to be a hard one, but I think the team has done a tremendous job coming out of the summer.”

On 7 October, they will play the current world champions United States at Wembley.

They will then have a friendly with the Czech Republic in Brighton days later.

The team advocates for a number of causes.

In August, they wrote a letter to Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, and stressed the importance of girls playing football at school.

The post World Cup 2022: Lionesses celebrate 10-0 victory against Luxembourg appeared first on GAY TIMES.

England secured its first major women’s championship after defeating Germany in the Euro 2022 Final.

Over the last few weeks, the country’s women’s team has dominated the competition with landmark wins against Austria, Norway, Northern Ireland, Spain and Sweden. 

On 31 July, the Lionesses faced off against eight-time European champions Germany in the event’s final match at Wembley Stadium. 

After delivering an array of electric plays throughout the first half, Ella Toone put England in the lead with a jaw-dropping chip at the start of the second half.

However, Germany’s Lina Magull took the game into extra time after she landed a goal during the last 11 minutes of the final. 

But in the end, Chloe Kelly cemented England’s 2-1 victory with a magnificent winning goal.

After landing the showstopping play, the game’s record-breaking 87,192-person crowd erupted into applause before singing Sweet Caroline, as reported by AP News. 

In an interview with the BBC, Toone opened up about the team’s first-ever championship win, stating: “It doesn’t seem real. I’m buzzing my head off. Honestly, the best moment of my career, best moment of my life. I’m so proud to be a part of this group.” 

🎞️ Road to the final: @Lionesses 🦁

⏪ Look back on England’s stunning campaign on home soil so far! #WEURO2022 | #ENG pic.twitter.com/GKOl96hiQL

— UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 (@WEURO2022) July 31, 2022

Openly queer players Fran Kirby and Beth Mead echoed similar sentiments in their own post-game statements. 

“It’s amazing. It’s something I have dreamed of for a long, long time. It’s incredible. I got to 2015 and we have been in a few semis since then. This is amazing, players coming off the bench to help us get the win,” Kirby said.

Mead added: “I can’t believe it. Sometimes football puts you down but bouncing back is the best way. I am speechless. I am in shock. I’ve just had a good cry with the family, I wouldn’t be here without them.

“I am so so proud of this team, I love this team and I love this country.”

Alongside the overall Euro 2022 win, Mead also earned the championship’s coveted Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament titles.

Since England’s monumental win, fans have taken to social media to celebrate the impactful team. 

One user wrote: “Was 9/10 years old when I started playing football, and I was the only girl in a mixed team… this win means the f*cking world to me and hope it inspires a whole generation of young girls to kick a ball and get stuck in.” 

Another user tweeted: “Absolutely magnificent achievement by the England #Lionesses to win Euro 2022. An absolutely massive moment for women’s football and also women’s sport in England.”

Congratulations are in order for the Lionesses and their groundbreaking victory!

A moment for the history books ✍️

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England are #WEURO2022 champions! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/bX6QrE0VOu

— UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 (@WEURO2022) July 31, 2022

The post England wins its first major women’s football championship after securing Euro 2022 title appeared first on GAY TIMES.

US Women’s football star Megan Rapinoe has called bills banning transgender children from sports “another avenue to attack” trans rights.

In an opinion piece written for  The Washington Post, the renowned footballer vocalised her opinions on trans rights and support LGBTQ+ youth.

“These bills are attempting to solve a problem that doesn’t exist. Transgender kids want the opportunity to play sports for the same reasons other kids do: to be a part of a team where they feel like they belong,” Rapinoe wrote.

“Proponents of these bills argue that they are protecting women. As a woman who has played sports my whole life, I know that the threats to women’s and girls’ sports are lack of funding, resources and media coverage; sexual harassment; and unequal pay.”

The footballer continued to explain how access to sports as a child and taught her “so much”.

“[sports] brought me so much joy. Every child deserves to have that experience,” she said. “That’s why I believe that all kids, including transgender youth, should be able to participate in sports they love.”

Data shows 26 state legislatures introduced over 40 bills to exclude trans youth from sports teams according to ACLU’s tracker. More shockingly, these figures reflect the first two months of 2021.

The wider societal impact of these bills can be felt at grassroots levels. Transgender youth are feeling more vulnerable and targeting due to their identity.

The Trevor Project reported, prior to the pandemic, 1 in 3 transgender youth reported attempting suicide in 2019.

The two-time FIFA world champion called out anti-trans legislators and politicians for introducing bills that discriminate against the LGBTQ+ youth.

“I know what it feels like to be singled out and treated differently. No one should be treated unfairly because of who they are — and that is especially true of kids,” she explained in the article.

More than 20 states have introduced over 60 bills targeting trans youth according to Axios. 2020 saw more than 40 bills focused on trans youth.

In 2018, 18 anti-trans bills introduced and the figure increased to 22 in 2019.

“These bills are an attack on the humanity and belonging of trans people, and that’s why this issue is important to me as a member of the LGBTQ community,” the athlete wrote.

Adding: “For some, discrimination is the point. But we can celebrate all girls and women in sports while ensuring trans people aren’t discriminated against.

“That is why all women must stand up and demand that exclusion is not done in our name.”

The football star concluded her statement offering acceptance to trans youth, writing: “I want the trans youth in our country to know they are not alone.”

The post Megan Rapinoe says anti-trans bills are “political assaults” on LGBTQ+ youth appeared first on GAY TIMES.

Footballers Marta Silva and Toni Pressley announced their engagement online.

The Orlando Pride stars are tying the knot! Marta Silva and Toni Pressley announced their engagement on Tuesday (January 5) on Instagram with images proudly showcasing their rings. The duo have been dating since 2017.

Marta shared the celebratory images on Instagram, captioned the images with these sentimental lines: “This is another chapter of the story that we are writing together.”

Born in Brazil, the pro footballer shared the good news in English as well as her native Portuguese. Marta also plays for the Brazilian Women’s National Team and is a United Nations Global Goodwill Ambassador.

Pressley also shared the same dazzling online photos to her Instagram page which were captioned with the single word “Yes” and a smiling face adorned with heart emojis.

Both Silva and Pressley are regarded as top players in the sport. Pressley has been playing for the Orlando Pride, a team which also includes the icon power couple Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger, since 2016. Pressley has also made the National Women’s Soccer League draft in 2015.

Similarly, Silva has an impressive professional portfolio. The footballer has championed the sport with an incredible number of achievements, including becoming the first play (of any gender) to score at five World Cups.

The Brazilian also holds the record for the most number of goals across the FIFA Women’s Cup Tournaments and has been awarded FIFA World Player of the Year an incredible six times.

The post Footballers Marta Silva and teammate Toni Pressley announce their engagement appeared first on GAY TIMES.