Quinn Speaks on Coming Out and Promoting Inclusivity
On September 6, OL Reign’s Quinn came out as trans. The decision was not made lightly by the midfielder, but one they reached out of a desire to help advocate on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community to build a more inclusive world.
Quinn said that despite being aware of feeling constrained by the gender binary from an early age, it took until they were attending Duke University for things to click.
“I know for some trans folks they say that they knew when they were two,” Quinn said. “For me, I had been brought up and taught that I was supposed to conform to such a rigid gender binary of how I was supposed to act and how I was supposed to present myself. Who I was was who I was. It took me being in academic spaces and was understanding the language surrounding trans folks and what it meant to be trans before I could put words to what I was feeling. When I look back on my experience as a child there’s always been part of me that pushed back against a rigid gender binary. It was a process that happened over a long period of time. Fortunately, I was in spaces where I was exposed to other trans folks and through my classes at Duke where I could really start to understand who I was and to verbalize that.”
The decision to come out publicly, for Quinn, took time as they dealt with the difficulties of living as a trans person.
“I don’t think there’s ever a right moment to do something like this,” Quinn said. “I understood that there was going to be backlash. It’s taken me awhile, having a trans identity, to be able to deal with the amount of backlash that I receive in my daily life. To see the microaggressions and the signals and messages. Whether it’s going to the washroom and being approached or yelled at, or whatever else, it’s taken some time for me to grow a shell of being able to handle it. I’ve wanted to speak out for a long time and be a voice and use my platform, but at the same time I did have some fear of what that potential backlash would do and how big a toll it would be for me.”
In that respect, the midfielder feels that their time in soccer has prepared them for the reality of being a prominent, openly trans athlete.
“In some senses, I’m taught as a professional athlete to be able to handle social media and not go on it and not listen to people who have an opinion about you,” Quinn said. “Fortunately, I have some experience about that, but at the same time when it’s really at the core of who you are, it can be quite difficult to swallow. It’s been really incredible getting such a majority of positive feedback. It’s been really touching to see the people who are really important to my life speaking out and wanting this story to be heard. At the same time, it can definitely be hurtful when you see (the negative) comments online.”
Soccer has always been both a relief and a challenge for Quinn. The act of playing the sport they love and excel at was freeing, but certain aspects of entrenched gender binary around the sport, such as the different fit of the uniforms worn by some women’s soccer programs, were a reminder of a world that discounted their identity.
“It’s a space where you’re consistently reminded about gender in ways that I don’t think are necessary,” Quinn said. “Looking back on my time at Duke, I was sometimes feeling so uncomfortable in the uniforms. This different sort of uniform that I would wear every day was changing my mood. That was a frustrating thing for me to think about, because I just wanted to be myself on the pitch and play the sport I love, but there was a messaging of gender that you get in the locker room and in team meetings. I think in some spaces it was a huge relief for me to get out on the pitch and not think, but in others it was a constant reminder of how gendered this sport and the system of sport is with all those expectations.”
It was for that reason that the Canadian international decided now was the reason to come out publicly. Quinn hopes to serve as a representative for trans people in sports—though they were quick to point out that the experiences of the trans community were greater in scope than just their own.
“Part of the reason I’m coming out is that I want my identity to be respected in media surrounding football,” Quinn said. “Part of it was I wanted to start a conversation. I do feel a bit of pressure do that. That said, I’m one voice in the trans community, which has such a diverse range of experiences. I carry a lot of privilege in that too, being able to play my sport and how I present myself in society. I am considered maybe one of the most digestible versions of what it means to be trans. I’m white, I’m trans-masculine. I want my story to be told because when we have lots of trans visibility that’s where we start making a movement and start making gains in society. At the same time, I think there’s such a responsibility for me to uplift the voices of other marginalized trans folks in order to diversify the number of trans stories that the general audience is hearing.”
Quinn is particularly passionate about effecting change around trans inclusion in youth sports. Citing the importance of soccer in their own personal growth, Quinn feels that every child should be able to play sports, regardless of their gender identity.
“I think the first step is making sure that everyone has access to being able to play sports and that you’re not kicked out or excluded from the sporting realm at such a young age just because of how you identify,” Quinn said. “Sports are about so much more than just winning at that age. You gain so many positive things that I know have been huge in my own experience. Sports growing up were such a crucial part of my development in understanding the world and learning so many different types of skills and finding so much joy. I don’t think any child should be excluded from that. I think that’s the start. There’s teaching that needs to be done to make kids feel included in their spaces. I think we need a basis of education, whether that’s through clubs or youth programs that can help use language that makes everyone feel included.”
Quinn woke up the same person they were the morning after they came out. The only difference was a chance to use their platform publicly to elevate trans voices. The midfielder hopes that those seeking to be good allies will choose to spend time paying attention to a broader range of voices than they have in the past.
“I think that’s the first part of it, to educate yourself and diversify the storylines that you’re hearing,” Quinn said. “That’s crucial. Even through social media, can you follow more trans folks and listen to more trans voices? And a diversity of those voices, too, in different spheres of society. Educating yourself and practicing using language like they/them pronouns. I know that’s a different experience for a lot of people, but with a simple amount of practice that can be normalized to people. The biggest thing they can do to help is to educate themselves and work to amplify the voices of trans folks in society.”
As for young trans people, Quinn hopes they feel supported to pursue their dreams like they have, despite the difficulties that lie ahead.
“I’m not going to say that it’s not hard,” Quinn said. “It’s a hard environment to operate in. I hope they can see that there are people in the world who want to make sports a more inclusive place for them and that I’m one of those people. Hopefully, in five years, sports will be a more inclusive space. Hopefully tomorrow, some of these conversations around sports will be more inclusive. My message to young trans folks is one of hope. Regardless of what career path you choose or whatever else, even though it may seem difficult, know that there are people who are working toward a better future for them.”
Now that Quinn is out, they look forward to continuing to challenge the status quo in pursuit of a more inclusive world, both on the pitch and off.
“I have so many things to say and so many conversations that I want to be had in the future and right now,” Quinn said. “I want to advocate in sports because that’s the space that I operate in every day—it’s my profession and it’s something that’s familiar to me. I want to push the sporting realm and the NWSL to keep moving forward. I know my experience through the Challenge Cup and the Pride Match is that sometimes we think of the issues facing the LGBTQ+ community as something that’s been solved. Gay marriage was legalized and so now it’s not an issue at hand. The most digestible members of the LGBTQ+ community are moving up in society, but I think in some points we’ve forgotten about some of the most marginalized. That’s trans people and specifically trans women of color. For me, the Pride Match isn’t a celebration when people in my community are being murdered in the United States. I think there’s a time and a place to celebrate people in the LGBTQ+ community, but I don’t think we can cloud the realities that we have within that community as well. There’s been progress made but there’s still so much more to do.
“I really do appreciate the space that “women’s football” has given me. It’s given me a safe space to figure out my sexuality and figure out my gender identity, but at the same time I want to raise questions. If a trans woman were to enter our league, what would the conversation be like?”