As England’s new ban on transgender women participating in women’s soccer teams came into force on Saturday, the country’s inclusive football community responded not with silence but with solidarity. In protest of the Football Association’s controversial ruling, Goal Diggers FC, a trans-inclusive, London-based women’s football club, hosted the “Let The Dolls Play Tournament” in Islington on Sunday. Around 100 players, including women, transgender women, non-binary and gender non-conforming individuals, turned out to send one unified message: no matter the rules, the love for football and the community built around it cannot be erased.
“It’s a sad day,” said Paula Griffin, a 60-year-old transgender woman and tournament participant. “But they’re not going to take away this community, my friends. And there’s such a powerful message coming from that — that the people who care about women’s sport are the people who play the women’s sports.”
