Kerstin Casparij on queer awarness: 'Being gay didn't feel normal, until I became a footballer'
In an interview with the BBC, Manchester City’s defender Kerstin Casparij reveals how she found strength in her sexuality, tackles stereotypes head-on, and explains why she wants to “continue spreading love” both on and off the pitch.
- Casparij, a defender for Manchester City W.F.C. and the Netherlands women’s national football team, discussed how growing up in Heerenveen she felt being gay “didn’t feel normal” because she “didn’t know anyone who was” in the LGBTQ+ community.
- She revealed that as a teenager she always “wanted to hold the girls’ hands” in school plays or walks in pairs, and “knew I liked girls. It was such a taboo that I thought I had to like boys.”
- Casparij credited football with giving her the space and confidence to embrace her identity, saying that through the sport she realised being queer was okay and she could be an ally and role-model.
- She spoke openly about her desire to “continue spreading love” within her club and the broader community and to help normalise LGBTQ+ identities in football.
Read the full interview here.
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