Soccer coach comes out to his team as trans

Soccer coach comes out to his team as trans
Image: Image: Instagram / @pcfcsoccer

A PORTLAND soccer coach has come out to his young team in a moving video that has since garnered tens of thousands of views.

Founder of the Portland Community Football Club in the United States, Karl Lightner, recently called a team meeting and revealed to his players that he was a trans man.

“Some of you may or may not know this but I am transgender,” he said.

“What that means is that I was born a girl, and grew up playing soccer as a girl. That’s not something I share with people in the sports world often, because it’s not an easy thing.

“I was born a girl and I didn’t really feel like a girl, I felt like a boy – but I had to play soccer as a girl. I got told a lot of things, that I wasn’t good enough, or strong enough.

“I want you guys to know about me, and want you guys to know I’m still me, I’m still the same person I was five minutes before you all knew this.”

Lightner also let his team know how important it is to recognise that trans and gender diverse people are everywhere.

“There are other people like me everywhere, we just don’t always talk about it,” he said.

“That’s why you have to be kind, and respectful, and nice to everyone you possibly can.”

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