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Yesterday Mara Gomez became Argentina’s first transgender footballer to play professionally in their top women’s division.
Here is her story
Here is her story
This story of course runs far deeper than football in a country where the life expectancy for transgender women is between 32 and 40. After the game Mara proudly stated "It's not an individual conquest, it's a social, collective question”
In 2012, Argentina became one of the first South American countries to pass a gender identity law which allowed Mara to change her gender on her National Identity card as soon as she turned 18.
The same year Mara began playing football, and by 2018 she cemented herself as a leading goalscorer for Villa San Carlos.
How does she deal with those who will say she has an unfair advantage…. Messi. “He measures 1.6 meters (5 foot, 7 inches) and is the best player in the world…On the field, you can have speed and strength, but that doesn’t help you if you don’t know how to play football”
Her coach, Juan Cruz Vitale also rejects any claims of athletic disparity. ““we talk of strength, I have at least five or six girls who are stronger than her. On that side I don’t see that there is an advantage.” https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/12/08/trans-footballer-mara-gomez-villa-san-carlo-argentina-historic-debut-toronto-city/
Mara has even signed an agreement with the Argentine Football Association, which requires her to regularly submit testosterone measurements to demonstrate there is no athletic disparity with her follow players.
While the opposition, Lanus, won 7-1 on Monday, they presented Mara with a No10 Jersey with her name on the back. "It was moving, I wasn't expecting it,"
Earlier this year Canadian International Quinn came out as trans, having played in both the Olympics and the World Cup. They said "I wanted to pass that along and then hopefully other people will come out as well, I can create a safer space for them." https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54233946
Here’s to Mara, Quinn and all other people who want to live their authentic self and be allowed to do the things they love, play football. 
