FILE – In this June 27, 2020, file photo, Washington Spirit forward Kumi Yokoyama dribbles the ball during the second half of an NWSL Challenge Cup soccer match against Chicago Red Stars at Zions Bank Stadium, in Herriman, Utah. Yokoyama said they are transgender, a revelation praised in the U.S. where they play in the National Women’s Soccer League but an identity not recognized in Japan.
FILE – In this Nov. 8, 2020, file photo, Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib reacts after the Raiders defeated the Los Angeles Chargers in an NFL football game, in Inglewood, Calif. “To Carl Nassib and Kumi Yokoyama – two prominent, inspiring athletes who came out this week: I’m so proud of your courage. Because of you, countless kids around the world are seeing themselves in a new light today,” U.S. President Joe Biden tweeted. Nassib is the first active NFL player to come out as gay.
TOKYO (AP) — Japanese soccer player Kumi Yokoyama said they are transgender — a revelation praised in the U.S. where they play in the National Women’s Soccer League but an identity not legally recognized in Japan.
The 27-year-old forward for the Washington Spirit said they felt more comfortable with their own gender identity while living in the United States, where teammates and friends are more open to gender and sexual diversity.
“I’m coming out now,” Yokoyama said in a video talk on former teammate Yuki Nagasato’s YouTube channel. “In the future, I want to quit soccer and live as a man.”
Yokoyama’s revelation was praised by President Joe Biden.
“To Carl Nassib and Kumi Yokoyama – two prominent, inspiring athletes who came out this week: I’m so proud of your courage. Because of you, countless kids around the world are seeing themselves in a new light today,” Biden tweeted. Nassib is the first active NFL player to come out as gay.
The Spirit also expressed the team’s support and pride in Yokoyama. “Thank you for showing the world it’s ok to embrace who you are!” the team tweeted, adding that the player uses they/them pronouns.
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