Seattle Reign FC and TransFamilies Celebrate Trans Day of Visibility

This Trans Day of Visibility and every day, Reign FC is proud to support and celebrate the Trans community.  

The holiday, established formally in 2009, provides an opportunity to shine a light on the trans and gender-diverse community and let people know that they are not alone in their journeys and experiences. 

“Seattle Reign FC creates one of the safest environments in the NWSL and in our Academy for gender diverse staff, athletes and families to be exactly who they are,” said Steph Hirsch, Reign FC’s Community and Social Impact Manager.  

“Whether it is Quinn living their truth out on the field with our first team, our front office building new transformational partnerships with groups like TransFamilies, or the incredible SRFC front office and first team staff that serve our athletes- we are always leading our work with an intersectional and gender inclusive lens.” 

Unwavering support for the trans community has always been ingrained in the Reign’s DNA and always will be. In 2023, Reign players wore Protect Trans Kids t-shirts during warmups for the second year in a row, later auctioning the shirts off to support Lavender Rights Project, an organization that provides life-saving policy and social change advocacy, comprehensive care, and legal services to Black, indigenous, and LGBTQ+ individuals.  

This season and beyond, Reign FC is proud to partner in community with TransFamilies, a nonprofit organization that supports families with transgender and nonbinary children by creating spaces for connection. They provide resources, support groups, and community for both parents/caregivers and their children. 

“Transgender Day of Visibility is about community. It’s about celebrating trans people while drawing attention to the continued need for progress. At TransFamilies, we believe in the power of community,” said Charlie Girard.  

“We know that in community lies understanding, resilience, and, most importantly, joy. This Trans Day of Visibility, we hope that families with trans children can celebrate the day in ways that feel authentic. From cooking a special meal together to taking a family walk in a local park to watching a favorite movie together, we hope that this day offers families the chance to connect and celebrate.” 

The Reign and TransFamilies teamed up in 2023, along with Sounders FC, to host a soccer clinic for gender diverse youth, to work toward the collective goal of increasing youth access to play and making Washington state the most inclusive place for gender diverse youth to play soccer in the United States. The two-hour clinic featured small-sided scrimmages and concluded with a question and-answer panel with the players. There were 20 youth participants from various gender-diverse backgrounds that came together at this event. 

“The relationship between TransFamilies and Seattle Reign FC has been unbelievably collaborative and a testament to authentic community partnerships. Throughout our work together, it has been clear that Seattle Reign FC wants Trans youth and their parents to feel supported and celebrated, and we have heard over and over from our families that this is exactly how they have felt. We’re so thankful for this partnership!” 

“It was evident after first partnering with TransFamilies and Sounders FC in 2023 to provide our youth gender diversity soccer clinic that Seattle Reign FC and TransFamilies aligned in our collective values to support the right to play for all gender diverse youth and families- especially as a former non-binary athlete myself. We are excited to partner with this life-saving organization to ensure that with our platforms we can amplify and provide transformative ways to support gender diverse youth and their families, together,” added Hirsch. 

As this partnership with TransFamilies continues to grow, we encourage fans to learn more about TransFamilies and how to support the organization. 

“First, we encourage families with trans/nonbinary children to join our community! We have virtual monthly support groups available for parents based on their child’s age as well as other demographics – like our popular group just for dads with trans children. We also have spaces for youth to connect, including virtual movie showings, game nights, and our incredibly active Youth Chat Space hosted on Discord. Get involved at TransFamilies.org!” 

TransFamilies is always accepting donations to be able to continue the vital work they do at TransFamilies.org/Donate. Stay in touch online and on Instagram at TransFamilies.