Sports
A first for UK soccer: Transgender men vs. cisgender men
Match took place in London on Friday
The final score was lopsided, 8 to 1, but what the Dulwich Hamlet FC Supporters Team did in playing TRUK United FC on Friday was historic: This was the first time in Europe that an all-cisgender men’s soccer team competed against a team of transgender men and trans-masculine players.
And as Pink News reported, it happened on the International Transgender Day of Visibility in London.
“Many of the team had never met before. Some of them hadn’t played football since school, others were semi-pro,” said Harry Nicholas, author of “A Trans Man Walks into a Gay Bar“, who played center back in Friday’s match.
Another player was a famous face in U.K. television: Ash Palmisciano — the first ever transgender actor to appear on the show “Emmerdale” — drove down from Leeds to play. Others drove to London all the way from Scotland, according to Nicholas.
“There was such a range of talent, experiences and nationalities on the pitch, but the one thing that united us all was that we thought there was no place for us in football as trans men, and this event changed that,” he said, and explained why the match was so vital for trans representation in sports:
“I hope that trans kids see this and know there is a place for them in sport. That it is possible,” said Nicholas.
A crowd of more than 500 fans was in attendance at Champions Field, and when TRUK United scored a goal, there was a huge eruption of cheers, a moment Nicholas tweeted was “possibly the most emotional moment of my life.”
“We ran towards each other and hugged. Our manager Lucy and the whole squad joined us on the pitch. I’ve never felt a sense of community and joy quite like it before — we were playing a sport we love and owning it,” he told Pink News.
LGBTQ advocate and journalist Nick Heath called that goal “the greatest free kick goal I’ve ever seen live.”
A real privilege to watch this match tonight, including the greatest free kick goal I’ve ever seen live. Such a great atmosphere. #TransDayOfVisibility https://t.co/3NxQWbmlv3
— Nick Heath (@nickheathsport) March 31, 2023
“The crowd seemed to get a lot out of it, too,” said Nicholas. “For many of the people in attendance — football crowds are a challenge. There can be a lot of homophobia and transphobia. For many it was their first time watching a match. There were amazing chants and it was such a high-spirited event. It was a mix of LGBTQ+ people, and allies, coming together to celebrate this historic evening, and show that everyone has a place in sport.”
The match was played on the same day that UK Athletics confirmed its ban on trans women in women’s sports, and Nicholas said that made the match especially vital.
“The score didn’t matter at the beginning and it didn’t matter at the end. This was not about winning or proving ourselves against a cis team. The real win was always that we walked out onto the pitch, played, we’re visible and we’ve reclaimed our place in football.”
More than a dozen LGBTQ athletes won medals at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics that ended on Sunday.
Cayla Barnes, Hilary Knight, and Alex Carpenter are LGBTQ members of the U.S. women’s hockey team that won a gold medal after they defeated Canada in overtime. Knight the day before the Feb. 19 match proposed to her girlfriend, Brittany Bowe, an Olympic speed skater.
French ice dancer Guillaume Cizeron, who is gay, and his partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry won gold. American alpine skier Breezy Johnson, who is bisexual, won gold in the women’s downhill. Amber Glenn, who identifies as bisexual and pansexual, was part of the American figure skating team that won gold in the team event.
Swiss freestyle skier Mathilde Gremaud, who is in a relationship with Vali Höll, an Austrian mountain biker, won gold in women’s freeski slopestyle.
Bruce Mouat, who is the captain of the British curling team that won a silver medal, is gay. Six members of the Canadian women’s hockey team — Emily Clark, Erin Ambrose, Emerance Maschmeyer, Brianne Jenner, Laura Stacey, and Marie-Philip Poulin — that won silver are LGBTQ.
Swedish freestyle skier Sandra Naeslund, who is a lesbian, won a bronze medal in ski cross.
Belgian speed skater Tineke den Dulk, who is bisexual, was part of her country’s mixed 2000-meter relay that won bronze. Canadian ice dancer Paul Poirier, who is gay, and his partner, Piper Gilles, won bronze.
Laura Zimmermann, who is queer, is a member of the Swiss women’s hockey team that won bronze when they defeated Sweden.
Outsports.com notes all of the LGBTQ Olympians who competed at the games and who medaled.
Sports
US wins Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey
Team captain Hilary Knight proposed to girlfriend on Wednesday
The U.S. women’s hockey team on Thursday won a gold medal at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Team USA defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime. The game took place a day after Team USA captain Hilary Knight proposed to her girlfriend, Brittany Bowe, an Olympic speed skater.
Cayla Barnes and Alex Carpenter — Knight’s teammates — are also LGBTQ. They are among the more than 40 openly LGBTQ athletes who are competing in the games.
The Olympics will end on Sunday.
Sports
Attitude! French ice dancers nail ‘Vogue’ routine
Cizeron and Fournier Beaudry strike a pose in memorable Olympics performance
Madonna’s presence is being felt at the Olympic Games in Italy.
Guillaume Cizeron and his rhythm ice dancing partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry of France performed a flawless skate to Madonna’s “Vogue” and “Rescue Me” on Monday.
The duo scored an impressive 90.18 for their effort, the best score of the night.
“We’ve been working hard the whole season to get over 90, so it was nice to see the score on the screen,” Fournier Beaudry told Olympics.com. “But first of all, just coming out off the ice, we were very happy about what we delivered and the pleasure we had out there. With the energy of the crowd, it was really amazing.”
Watch the routine on YouTube here.
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