Mara Gomez breaks barriers in professional sports for transgender people with her first professional soccer match.
On Monday, 23-year-old striker Mara Gomez made history after she became the first transgender woman to play a match in professional Argentinian soccer.
Although she was signed onto Club Atlético Villa San Carlos almost a year ago, Gomez’s debut was largely delayed because of prolonged questioning from the Argentinian Football Association (AFA). They, as many other sports officials have in the past, presented the transphobic concern of trans women having an athletic “unfair advantage” over cisgender women. This very excuse has been used to excuse trans folks from professional sports for decades, but Gomez did not let that stop her.
After presenting blood tests that proved her testosterone levels were not higher than that of her teammates or opponents, the AFA allowed her to compete under regulations set by the International Olympic Committee.
“This is a huge achievement,” Gomez said. “I’m totally grateful to my club, to my teammates and coaching staff for opening the doors for me and for showing me respect from the beginning. I’m proud to represent a community but also a part of society and to know that I have become a reference for a lot of people.”
Gomez has spoken of the sport as therapeutic for her, arriving at a time when she was struggling with her gender identity and mental health. She says soccer saved her and that she never imagined it would develop into a career.
Gomez’s debut is a win for the trans and sports communities alike. Gomez should not have gone through the extents she did in order to comply with outdated and transphobic views of athleticism and gender inclusion, but her journey opens doors for countless other trans folks with a love for sports after her.