Words by Tess Becker
The Women's World Cup is underway. In such a massive sporting event there are always highs, lows and surprises around every corner. This year, the Canadian player Quinn made history.
In their opening match against Nigeria, Canada midfielder Quinn became the first out transgender player at a Fifa World Cup.
Quinn came out as non-binary in September 2020, dropping their old first name, asking to be known only by a mononym, and saying they would use the pronouns 'they/them'.
“Seeing the women's national team and fortunately being able to interact with some of them was hugely important for me in understanding that there was a pathway for me,” they told Streets of Toronto.
It can’t be overstated how important it is to have a trans figure on such a massive stage amid all the fraught conversations about transgender athletes.
“It's ground-breaking, historic,” Har Johal, a Canadian freelance journalist who has covered the national team since 2012, said. “It shows people who watch sport that you can be non-binary and still play fantastic sport.”
Charity check-in
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
American Civil Liberties Union. This is one of the largest civil liberty defense organizations in the US. Find out more and support them here.
The Trevor Project. They focus on suicide prevention and mental health support for queer youth. Support them here.
Human Rights Campaign. This is one of the largest equality-focused organizations in the US. Find out more.
