Kumi Yokoyama: «If influential people like me don't use their voices, tolerance and acceptance won't grow"
Last June the Japanese footballer Kumi yokoyama publicly stated that was identified as a trans man. Yokoyama He is the protagonist again a few months later: he has asked his girlfriend to marry him in the middle of the stadium Washington Audi Field. Kneeling on the grass before his future wife, the footballer experienced one of the most exciting moments of his life. "She said yes!”, The player published on his profile Twitter with a photo of the romantic request.
Kumi yokohama publicly identified himself as a trans man during an interview on his compatriot's channel, Yuki nakasato, this within the framework of Pride month. The 28-year-old player plays for the team of the NWSL and decided to make his story public, after going through football Germany y United States, a fact that made him reflect on the almost null recognition of people's rights LGTBIQ + en Japan. The homophobia of the Japanese country, together with the low visibility of rights LGTBIQ + and, especially, of the trans community in the world of sports, made Yokoyama Take a step forward.
«I found the courage to go out«
"I have dated various women over the years, but had to stay locked in Japan. There they always ask me if I have a boyfriend, but here they ask me if I have a boyfriend or girlfriend. When my girlfriend said there was no reason for me to stay locked up, it really hit me. Coming out of the closet was not something that I was excited about, but if I think about my life in the future, it would be more difficult to live locked up, so I found the courage to come out”Were the words of Yokoyama when he decided to make his sexual identity public.
After the great support that his girlfriend has given him during these years, he has not hesitated to ask her to marry him. And he has done so with a request that has been projected on the stadium screens with the fans applauding and cheering for his action. Yokoyama has received the support of football federations, coaches and players from other teams and fans of the washington spirit, who have sent him numerous messages of support through social networks.
The player has confessed to feeling “happier than ever”, And encourages other athletes not to hide and show their personality and feelings as they are. "En Japan are getting acquainted with the acronym LGTBIQ +but I think if influencers like me don't use their voices tolerance and acceptance won't grow".
