U.S. President Joe Biden expressed admiration for the courage of Japanese women’s football forward Kumi Yokoyama for coming out as a transgender man.
Japanese soccer player Kumi Yokoyama said, “they are transgender — which was praised in the United States where they play in the National Women’s Soccer League but it’s an identity that is not legally recognized in Japan.” The 27-year-old forward for the Washington Spirit said they felt more comfortable with their own gender identity while living in the United States, where gender and sexual diversity is more accepted by teammates and friends.
“I’m coming out now,” Yokoyama said in a video talk on former teammate Yuki Nagasato’s YouTube channel. “In the future, I want to quit soccer and live as a man.”
Yokoyama’s revelation was praised by President Joe Biden. “To Carl Nassib and Kumi Yokoyama – two prominent, inspiring athletes who came out this week: I’m so proud of your courage. Because of you, countless kids around the world are seeing themselves in a new light today,” Biden tweeted. Carl Nassib is the first active NFL player to come out as gay.
Yokoyama played for Japan at the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France and moved from Japanese club AC Nagano Parceiro to the Washington Spirit.
