This Women’s World Cup Is Showing What LGBTQ Inclusive Football Looks Like

When the US team won the Women’s World Cup in 2015, Abby Wambach celebrated by kissing her wife in the stands. While the pair have since split, the image became one of the most iconic of the tournament, helping to set a precedent for LGBTQ pride in the women’s game. 

Now, there are at least 41 openly gay or bisexual women playing in this year’s World Cup, according to Gay Star News. 

Wambach has retired, but five members of the US team and their coach, Jill Ellis, are publicly out. They’ll face England’s Lionesses in Tuesday night’s semi-final, a team whose players Beth Mead, Jodie Taylor, Karen Bardsley, Lucy Staniforth, Jill Scott and Rachel Daly are all publicly out, too.

In contrast, the male game feels decades behind; in 2019, it’s hard to believe there still are no openly LGBTQ players in the English Premier League and Scottish Premiership. Justin Fashanu, the first and to date only English player to be openly gay, died by suicide in 1998. Former Aston Villa and Germany player Thomas Hitzlsperger came out in 2014, but chose to do so four months into his retirement.