Japanese Women’s World Cup star Kumi Yokoyama has come out as a transgender man — one of the few athletes to do so in a country where LGBTQ rights lag behind other developed nations.
“Recently, the term LGBTQ has become familiar in Japan, and you see it in the media nowadays,” said the 27-year-old footballer.Yokoyama’s message was posted on the YouTube channel of former Japan teammate Yuki Nagasato — a World Cup winner in 2011. “In Japan, you’re always asked ‘do you have a boyfriend?’, but here it’s normal to ask ‘do you prefer men or women’,” Yokoyama said.
Yokoyama found support from Washington Spirit, who tweeted: “We support and are so proud of you Kumi. Thank you for showing the world it’s OK to embrace who you are!”
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