Posted on by Randy Slovacek

Photo Of 1st Trans Masculine Football Team Goes Viral

TRUK United FC’s all trans-masc team played its inaugural match – the first of its kind in European history – on Trans Day of Visibility, March 31.
(photo: Lucy Copsey)

A photo of the first all trans-masculine football team in Europe scoring their first goal has garnered millions of views online, sending a message to young trans people everywhere.

The photo was taken by Lucy Copsey, a photographer who plays for TRUK United’s women’s team.

Copsey’s team had already played earlier in the night and was shooting the trans men’s match when Parker Dunn scored the goal. Copsey told Pink News it was just luck that the team turned in her direction in the emotional moment.

Via Pink News:

TRUK United FC’s all trans-masc team played its inaugural match – the first of its kind in European history – on Trans Day of Visibility (31 March).

About 500 supporters were at Champion Hill stadium to the team play Dulwich Hamlet FC Supporters Team.

And while the trans-masc team didn’t go home victorious – they lost 8-1 – a photograph of the moment they celebrated their goal quickly went viral on social media.

The image, which features nearly the entire team, has been viewed millions of times across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

The pic captures the sense of community and singular joy of finding your tribe through team sports.

As we see in headlines almost constantly these days, trans people are being increasingly excluded from sporting bodies around the world as lawmakers in states across the U.S. aim to ban them, particularly trans women, from participating in school sports.

Arthur Webber, the captain of the team, shared his thoughts on the big night with TransWrites:

As I led the first ever all trans masc football team in Europe onto that football pitch to thunderous applause, all my worries melted away.

It didn’t matter what the score was; it didn’t matter if I left the field covered in mud and smelling like the Year 9 boys PE changing room. We made history here.

I don’t think I’ve ever felt anything quite like watching Parker’s free kick bounce down from the crossbar and into the net. It was as if it wasn’t nearly 10pm and I wasn’t resembling a drowned rat after playing for an hour in torrential rain.

With newfound energy, I sprinted towards the rest of my team in tears, and saw that they were crying too. 500 spectators jumped out of their seats in celebration.

We hugged, we sobbed, we screamed until our throats were raw. That was trans joy. Pure, unadulterated trans joy.