ESPN reporter M.A. Voepel says he’s transgender: ‘Glad to be who I’ve always been inside’
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Longtime sports journalist M.A. Voepel shared on Twitter Tuesday that he’s transgender and that his pronouns are he/him.
“Please feel free to call me Voepel, MV, Michael, Mike; I’m good with them all,” he wrote in a four-part Twitter thread.
Voepel, who joined ESPN.com over 25 years ago, said that he decided to share his true self with the world now because he’s receiving the prestigious Gowdy Award next month, and wanted to do that as his “authentic self.”
Named in honor of the late Curt Gowdy, a sports broadcaster and Hall of Fame board member and president, the award is presented to members of the media whose “efforts have made a significant contribution to the game of basketball.”
“In sports media, we’re lucky to tell stories of others’ journeys. We have our own, too,” Voepel wrote. “Part of mine is being transgender,” he added.
Speaking about his decision to only come out now, Voepel said that fear of losing “all that is dear to us, including career” played a big part in it.
But at some point, “you realize you need to have faith that your happiness/well-being is worth pursuing, and also have faith in other people’s kindness and grace,” he wrote.
He also said that he’s grateful to work in a company that supports its employees, thankful for “terrific family and friends,” and for “societal progress.”
According to an ESPN bio, the Los Angeles native “covered his first women’s basketball game at the University of Missouri in 1984, and graduated from there with a degree in journalism in 1987.”
After working as an editor and writer at newspapers in Columbia, Mo.; Newport News, Va.; and Kansas City, Mo., he joined ESPN.com in 1996 as a women’s college and pro basketball writer, and he has since also covered additional college sports.
“I may look and sound a little different,” he wrote, noting that his passion for his job remains unchanged.
“Glad to be who I’ve always been inside. Dedication to covering women’s sports, a lifelong joy as well as job, and admiration for all involved — players, coaches, execs, fans, referees, colleagues — that stays exactly the same,” he added.
