England Women's Football:
A Pioneering Past
OUT AND PROUD:
ENGLAND WOMEN'S FOOTBALL LGBTQ+ HISTORY
BREAKING DOWN STEREOTYPES
It is no secret that players of women’s football are often placed into a box that labels them as “butch” or “lesbians”. However, a lot has been achieved to break down these prejudices, mostly by players themselves in the eyes of the media.
Assuming someone’s sexuality today seems outdated, especially amongst women’s football. There are many stars of the game who casually correct interviewers when asking about their personal lives or are not afraid to share their personal lives with the public. These actions have broken down existing barriers surrounding sexuality in sport. As a result, there has been a rise in LGBTQ+ only clubs in the UK, creating safe spaces for those in the community to be free to play football without the fear of facing discrimination that they might face elsewhere.
It is evident that women’s football has shown a united front against homophobia, setting an example for the men’s game to follow. With the first openly gay active male footballer coming out in May of this year. Jack Daniels of Blackpool has shown hope that the tides will change in the men’s game.
LILY PARR
Lily Parr was an English professional women’s association football player. Born on the 26th of April 1905, she was widely renowned for being a central player for the Dick, Kerr’s Ladies team that was founded in 1917. After the FA banned women from playing on their member grounds in 1921, Parr continued to play on other non-associated land.
Parr was openly gay and lived with her partner Mary. Now regarded as an LGBTQ+ icon, Parr came out at a time when those in the community were still persecuted. Refusing to be anyone other than herself, Parr stood at almost six feet tall with jet black hair. She fought against the deeply ingrained stereotypes and expectations of how women should look and behave at the time. She refused to conform to the notion of being “lady-like.”
Since her death in 1978, she was the only woman to be an inaugural inductee into the English Football Hall of Fame at the National Football Museum stationed in Manchester, in 2002.
Lily Parr photo from squad picture.
OUT AND PROUD IN 2022
With the unveiling of the England women’s national team squad for the 2022 Euros, there are several out and proud LGBTQ+ players that have made it into the final 23....
From the top left, Jess Carter, Demi Stokes, and Rachel Daly. From the bottom right, Jill Scott, Beth Mead, Fran Kirby, and Bethany England.