Kumi Yokoyama of the American professional soccer club, the Washington Spirit, has come out as transgender.
Yahoo sports reports the Japanese soccer star who uses the they/them pronouns made the announcement on YouTube Saturday on the channel of former teammate Yuki Nagasato.
“I want to live as a male,” Yokoyama said on the video in Japanese with English subtitles. I’ve dated several woman over the years, but I had to stay closeted in Japan.”
According to People, they came out after being encouraged by their girlfriend. “When my girlfriend said there was no reason for me to stay closeted, it really hit me,” Yokoyama continued. “Coming out wasn’t something I was enthusiastic about, but if I think about my life going forward, it would be harder to live closeted, so I found the courage to come out.”
Yokohama coincidentally made theirthei announcement at around the same time Carl Nassib of the Oakland Raiders became the first NFL player to openly come out as gay.
President Biden offered encouragement to both of them.
Yokoyama, 27, said they underwent their first surgery at the age of 20. They plans to complete the transition to a man after their professional soccer career is over.
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