Let’s face it: branding is often just lying. “Compassionate conservatism” no longer exists, “clean coal” never existed, and “low fat cheesecake” is just a crime against gastronomy.
So, when an organization purports to be “for all,” you damn well better look past the façade and see what they’re trying to cover up.
The Football Association in the UK has adopted the aforementioned slogan. After all, FA doubles as the acronym for both the league and the tagline. But they are hardly “for all”.
The FA has recently decreed that trans players must jump through considerable hoops in order to play ball. Aspiring athletes need to submit extensive medical records, surgical histories, and hormone testing to affirm their gender identity.
Fun game, right?
Wrong, says Sam Hill. He is the Yorkshire Terriers’ spokesperson and on behalf of the inclusive club, he says non-conforming footballers have suffered enough harassment for a lifetime.
“For many trans people, being asked to give their medical history will be deeply traumatic.”
Hill’s statement to the BBC continues, “These people will have already been through a lot. They don’t need to be asked to provide all this intrusive information.”
The Terriers identify as the only LGBT+ inclusive team in Yorkshire, and we identify them as hunky heroes with heart.
Their club was established 25 years ago, which makes the Terriers five years older than the Gay Football Supporters’ Network (GFSN). As athletic supporters ourselves (wink, Grease reference), we applaud the Yorkshire lads, lasses and non-binary folks for forming the forward line in queer rights while everyone else seems to be languishing in the proverbial mid-field.
As altruistic as the Terriers may be, Hill merely characterizes their actions as human.
“This is amateur-level football. No money is involved. We think you should be able to play in a team belonging to the gender you identify as.”
Yorkshire has snagged three of the past five GFSN championship titles, making them a perfect match for the big leagues. But until the Football Association gets its head in the game, they will get no puppy love from the Terriers.
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