Canadian WNT player Rebecca Quinn comes out as transgender
Canadian women’s national soccer team player Rebecca Quinn came out to the public on Tuesday as transgender.
The 25-year-old soccer professional, who played in college at Duke, made the announcement on Instagram.
“As I’ve lived as an openly trans person with the people I love most for many years, I did always wonder when I’d come out publicly,” Quinn wrote.
Quinn calls for ‘better allies’
Quinn made the announcement to encourage others to feel safe on social media and asked for people “to be better allies” in making social media a more accepting platform.
“I wanted to be visible to queer folx who don’t see people like them on their feed,” Quinn wrote. “I know it saved my life years ago.
“I want to challenge cis folks (if you don’t know what cis means, that’s probably you!!!) to be better allies. It’s a process, and I know it won’t be perfect, but if I can encourage you to start then it’s something.”
Cisgender describes a person who identifies with his or her birth sex.
Quinn’s played at World Cup, Olympics
Quinn, a midfielder, represented Canada at the 2019 World Cup and played on the 2016 Olympic team in Rio de Janeiro. Quinn plays professionally for OL Reign of the NWSL in Tacoma, Washington, and is currently on loan at
Quinn is one of the most prominent North American team sports athletes to come out as transgender. Triathlete Chris Mosier became the first transgender athlete to compete for Team USA as a member of the United States national men’s team in 2015.
Professional MMA fighter Fallon Fox came out as transgender in 2013.
More from Yahoo Sports:
