Grace Wilson becomes Australia's 1st pro soccer player to come out as nonbinary
Grace Wilson just broke new ground in Australia, becoming the first A-League soccer player in the country to come out as nonbinary.
The Adelaide United Football Club threw its support behind the goalkeeper by helping them share the announcement with the world on the club’s official website and Instagram page, alongside a conversation with Pride Cup’s Holly Ransom about what being nonbinary means.
“It simply just means that my gender, and my perception of gender doesn’t fit into the Western standards of man or woman. And so, for me, personally, I don’t really feel like I’m anywhere near that,” Wilson said.
Wilson, who is also a member of the Young Matildas national soccer team for players under the age of 20, shared that they received a warm reception from their teammates upon opening up about their identity.
“The girls were lovely about it and I got a hug from every player,” they said. “As soon as I said it, cheers, and applause — it was this lovely thing. I felt so comfortable and supported, it was probably one of the best feelings.”
Last year, Wilson participated in the Pride Cup, sporting a rainbow hairstyle and expressing gratitude for “how far we as a league and a nation have come” after seeing the celebration of inclusivity taking place at the event.
“For me personally it highlighted how far along I am in my own journey of self acceptance,” they said at the time — a journey that has obviously continued over the past year as they’ve explored and embraced their nonbinary identity.
“Finally hearing people refer to me as ‘they/them,’ it's this phenomenal, euphoric feeling,” Wilson told Ransom.
Grace Wilson Embraces Non-Binary Identity - Full Interview
