Over the weekend, Spain’s first soccer team consisting only of biological women who think they are men competed against a men’s team.
The “trans men” lost the match 19-0.
But, according to Reuters, “for its fans and players, trans men having the right to play their favourite sport on equal terms is far more important than the score.”
Reportedly, the team adopted the name “Fenix FC” because it is named after a mythical bird that symbolizes birth. Last year, Spain passed legislation making it easier for people who believe they are transgender to change their legal identity.
Some of the players spoke to Reuters and explained that they used to compete on teams with women. The formation of the “trans men’s” team took three years (via Reuters):
Hugo Martinez, 24, told Reuters he faced abuse when he began transitioning with gender-affirming hormone therapy and was forced to leave the women's soccer team in which he had played.
"I was a boy playing in the girls' team, but without a changed ID, so I wasn't yet allowed to play with boys," he said, recounting how other players, coaches and parents in the stands often hurled insults and threats at him.
The experience prompted Martinez to put out a call online for other trans men seeking to play soccer in a safe environment. Setting up Fenix FC took three years.
BREAKING: Spain’s first soccer team of ‘transgender men’ (biological women) played its debut match against an all-male team in the fifth tier, and lost 19-0. pic.twitter.com/6uEo7TiuYB
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) October 6, 2024
Team captain Luke Inazes, 19, said that “he” did not want to compete on a team with biological men.
"Fenix is a team of trans boys created entirely by trans boys, but I think it's more than that - a family, a safe space where you can be free and express yourself however you want and how you really feel,” Inazes said.
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