Japanese soccer star Kumi Yokoyama comes out as transgender man

Yokoyama, who wishes to be referred by the gender-neutral pronouns "they" and "them", had a breast-removal operation at the age of 20.

How exactly does that work in Japanese? Ridiculous.

I'm happy that Yokoyama can be open and have those around be supportive. Everyone should embrace who they are.

I'm confused. Playing currently for a women's team?

Congratulations!

Retirement from women's sport incoming then?

Surely "they" have forfeited "their" right to play in womens soccer teams, including the Japan national team. "They" are a transgender man.

Or can "they" now choose which team to play in?

Yokoyama, who wishes to be referred by the gender-neutral pronouns "they" and "them",

They is plural. If she considers as a man. It should be he .

but here it's normal to ask 'do you prefer men or women,'" Yokoyama said.

I don't think so.

Every day, we are getting closer of a lgbt Olympics to be held after the Paralympics.

The Q identifies with queer, I had to look it up. HR confirmed.

Does it really matter? Personally i don't really care as long they actually are good at soccer. I watch sport for entertainment.

This is disturbing on so many levels.

So, Kumi, you like women, right? Is that what you wanted to say? That's fine, and nothing unusual, but why did it take so long to work that out from the article?

It may be 'normal' in certain circles, but if someone asked me if I liked men or women, I would say that is a predatory question, none of their business, and to stop trying to categorize and box me in.

Your *“HR” @itsonlyrocknroll 8:19am, “confirmed” it means just “Queer”*?

“The Q identifies with queer, I had to look it up. HR confirmed.” -

“Q” can also refer to “Questioning”. - “Questioning” refers to “people who may be unsure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.” - So, perhaps it looks like not all “Q”’s are “Queer”?

Would be interesting to read ‘how and why’ an HR department would ‘collect & use’ such information?

If Yokoyama knew Yokoyama was a man, then wouldn't it be considered cheating to play on woman's team until now?

Everyone should understand that sexual preference has NOTHING to do with gender. Everyone is free and should be to have any sexual preference they want.

Though the gender they were born does not change and ww should accept just because someone prefers or wants to be called something else that we should do it. You cannot do what you prefer just because you want to. I prefer to be called Sir or King or whatever else i come up, does that means i will force the whole society to follow my request? If everyone can decide at some point to change how wants to be called and we accept that then why not me not be allowed to be called King?

People can do whatver surgery they wish and change their body but that does not change their gender. If i have an accident and lose my geneticals will that make me change gender?

This whole think has gone so wrong. The gender is what it is by the chromosome and stays this way. What anyone does with their sexuality is their own business and actually we dont really want to know. You can inform people that are potential interest and thats it.

She can keep playing at womens club because SHE is a woman. Thank you for informing us about your sexual preference and good luck. You have no right to demand to be called as YOU want. You can ask your potential partner to call however you want but society will call you as register.

Any criticism welcome.

All this LTGBQ news recently feels like 'shock doctrine' though

This is the "sports" section as well. During the US Open Golf and football Euros, NPB, and the incredible Shohei Ohtani hitting like crazy, the top sports stories on consecutive days have been "Pride House person says let's have diversity", "NZ picks transwoman", and "Football star comes out as man". Has there been one story about the Hanshin Tigers this season? Because they are having a season to remember and their gaijin players are doing the business.

HR UK, snowymountainhell, thank you for providing further insight. questioning,

You know, snowymountainhell, queer is not a term of derision, not something one turns there nose up, well maybe in the UK 1950/60 when queer was a criminal offence.

Would you support queer is cool?

Or questioning is a just casual raise of the eye brow?

Great. Now she can be eligible to play for the Japanese men’s team.

OMG! This woke stuff pushed down people's throat is getting too urusai. I've never had any problems hanging out at gay clubs, pride parade and stuff but lately, this is too much. Like protestors in Korea not letting their hate towards Japan rest not even for even a second. So urusai.

@TokyoJoe

Retirement from women's sport incoming then?

It is in the article that they plan to continue to move forward with transitioning and surgery after they retire from the sport, yes.

@didou

They is plural. If she considers as a man. It should be he .

I hear this all the time, but it is not a new usage of they. They has been used as a gender neutral pronoun in English for a very long time (since the 14th or 15th century), even before people were as outspoken about gender as they are now. Historically if you are referring to an individual and did not know their gender, 'they' could be used. As an example, if the antecdent were unknown. "Somebody ate my sandwich. I hope that they pay me back".

I would be surprised if you hadn't used it in this sense without even realising it.

A question for the writers and commenters here:

- “They intend to have further gender reassignment surgery after they have retired from playing.” -

Confused? The whole team “They”, the Washington Spirit or, just one individual?

Choose whomever and however you want to live your life. - However, the whole ‘pronouns’ issue remains confusing.

kohakuebisuToday 09:12 am JST

All this LTGBQ news recently feels like 'shock doctrine' though

This is the "sports" section as well. During the US Open Golf and football Euros, NPB, and the incredible Shohei Ohtani hitting like crazy, the top sports stories on consecutive days have been "Pride House person says let's have diversity", "NZ picks transwoman", and "Football star comes out as man". Has there been one story about the Hanshin Tigers this season? Because they are having a season to remember and their gaijin players are doing the business.

And no mention at all of the several Coronavirus clusters hitting teams at Copa America in Brazil right now. It's almost as if the daily LTBGQ stories are designed simply to attract disgruntled posters.....

Yokoyama, who wishes to be referred by the gender-neutral pronouns "they" and "them", had a breast-removal operation at the age of 20.

How exactly does that work in Japanese? Ridiculous.

Try: Kare ra (gender-neutral plural pronoun). Yeah, there is no gender-neutral singular pronoun, as in English. Next, authorities will redesign our language to accommodate what they will call "in response to societal change".

Every day, we are getting closer of a lgbt Olympics to be held after the Paralympics.

Well, we Ls, Gs and Bs don't need our own olympics - we're just who we are, living as the sex we were born as.

It's the Ts where it gets problematic when it comes to sport.

If born a guy, you should never play in female sports at competition level. That's an unfair advantage.

I care about anyones sexual or gender preferences about as much as I care if you like blondes or brunettes or prefer wine or beer.

It really makes no difference.

If you are the kind of asshat that goes to parties and tells everyone you're a vegan and denounces everyone else as being wrong for eating meat because it's not your preference, then you're the same kind of person that gets offended at people you dont know and wont meet or talk to having a pronoun preference.

Not only straight people and children, even LGBTQ people themselves get confused over their mix match.....a man as a woman and a woman as a man playing at same game and one day even at same team. What in the world we are living when we just want a simple life.

I'm in full support on this.

While Yokohama has declared herself to be a transman, she has not been doping or taking any drugs to suppress or enhance features. They have even gone so far as to say they wouldn't begin more invasive and aggressive procedures until after their athletic retirement.

I am wholly against Hubbard, who never competed internationally until after they began their transition and began using drugs to suppress and enhance features.

One is a clean athlete the other is getting away with a doping loophole meanwhile Caster Semenya is still getting the biggest raw deal ever.

Well in any case it's secured it's future post soccer as a TV talent.

Yokoyama, who represented Japan at the 2019 Women's World Cup 

I am just curious, did "they" notify the Japanese Women's National team that "they" were transgendered when "they" played for them?

If "they" participated in any of the matches that Japan won, would the Women's national team face any potential sanctions for having a, up to that point, "man" playing on their team?

Look, let's start with small things. I guess you can do what you like with your own body, that's for one. I mean, there are people who have utterly destroyed themselves with plastic surgery, so this is the same.

Then, if you want to live as a man, even though biologically born a woman, or vice versa? Go ahead, I guess. I worry for your mental health, personally, because you are NOT a man on so many scientifically proven levels it's beyond dispute. As Love And Rockets sang, "It's all in your mind."

So..."don't be unkind!" DON'T demand that the world deceive their eyes and identify you as a man, all the time, every time, because they won't, at least on first impression and probably every time they see your comparatively tiny person. DON'T get filled with hate for the so-called "sisgenders" when people fail to call you "they/them" from the get-go. This is a RADICAL innovation in language that only a tiny sliver of activists have surrendered to. (The spell-checker doesn't recognize "cis", even here on the uber-prog-modded JT! THAT'S how radical these innovations truly are)

Finally, DO NOT criminalize people's use of language or preference for seeing you as their eyes see you (psychically a woman), or CRIMINALLY PUNISH people for failing to say "her/they/zhe" when their eyes tell them otherwise, or rain hate down on people who politely refuse to surrender to your mental fantasy that you REALLY ARE a man. They aren't hating on you, you are hating on them! In short, don't criminalize recognizing reality just for the whims of a sliver of elites who are sadly mentally confused!

F2M trans athletes IMO would have a heck of a time playing/ competing with men. I doubt they would even qualify. M2F trans athletes on the other hand are totally at an unfair advantage competing in female sports. Oh the PC world we live in.

SO all this time "he" has been hanging out with the ladies in the locker room seeing them naked and probably getting off on it. That is one sick puppy.

I wonder if this person refers to this person’s self as ‘they’ rather than ‘I’. Pronouns can be redundant anyway if one tries hard enough (in English, though less hard in Japanese).

I admire Kumi. Difficult to come out as transgender, I absolutely think. Haven't been there, and don't understand it completely, but I empathize their plight.

It's like Elliot Page.

A tough decision, but one that settles their soul to be more comfortable with who they are.

I don't think it's about what future role does Elliot Page play...does it take away from playing a pregnant teen in the past sort of thing. Or about Kumi's male/female soccer team orientation. To me, that is a reality, but a cynical one.

Kumi needed this for their life.

Why would a self-described man want to play on a woman's football team?

Perhaps, @kiwiboy 9:49am, this adds more ‘confusion & questions’ now for persons ‘outside the community’:

“Well, we Ls, Gs and Bs don't need our own olympics - we're just who we are, living as the sex we were born as. -

Sorry, but seems you must choose only one, at most two groups, with which to specifically identify ‘inside the community’. You could be “G & B” or, “L & B”, but not both “L & G”, whether “B” or not, amirite?

Additionally, posts here may not be uniformly accepted by some where one individual refers to oneself as “we” and “our”. While it’s ‘not necessarily discriminatory or biased’, it appears somewhat ‘selectively’ enforced: “You must state “I” or “me” and not “we”.  

Also, not necessarily, intentionally hurtful or exclusionary, your additional comment does seem to ‘sideline’ one group ‘within the community’ as “problematic” …

@kiwiboy 9:49am: “It's the Ts where it gets problematic when it comes to sport.” -

… for sports.

I admire Kumi. Difficult to come out as transgender, I absolutely think. Haven't been there, and don't understand it completely, but I empathize their plight.

It's like Elliot Page.

A tough decision, but one that settles their soul to be more comfortable with who they are.

I don't think it's about what future role does Elliot Page play...does it take away from playing a pregnant teen in the past sort of thing. Or about Kumi's male/female soccer team orientation. To me, that is a reality, but a cynical one. A lot of obtuse thought posted questioning Kumi.

Kumi wanted and likely wanted this for their life.

Kumi, identifying as a man, but not wanting to be called he or him, might retire from women’s soccer and undergo more radical surgery around the age of… say 35 +/-?

Until then, I hope that zero testosterone will have been administered. That would really be testing everyone’s patience a step too far. Your problem may have been solved, great, but suddenly it could become everyone’s problem.

How exactly does that work in Japanese? Ridiculous.

Difficult I think, and just as confusing as they as a singular pronoun.

彼 (kare) is male; 彼女(kanojo) is unmistakably female.

All that comes to mind is あいつ(aitsu) which has a rather derogatory ring to it.

SO all this time "he" has been hanging out with the ladies in the locker room seeing them naked and probably getting off on it.

Not if he's gay.

How exactly does that work in Japanese?

They and them are English words, not Japanese. Your question is like asking which way is north while standing on the north pole. It has no meaning or context.

Confused by your questions of pronouns @inkochi 10:42am:

“I wonder if this person refers to this person’s self as ‘they’ rather than ‘I’. Pronouns can be redundant anyway if one tries hard enough (in English, though less hard in Japanese).”

Are you intending to refer to *your*self as “this person”

or, “that person” and referring to Kumi Yokoyama? Perhaps;

“*I wonder if that person refers to that person’s self as ‘they’ rather than ‘I’.” -*

The writer(s) indicated Kumi Yokoyama would prefer:

therefore, it perhaps should be:

-* “I wonder if that person refers to that person’s self as ‘they’ rather than ‘I’.” -*

From the article:

Yokoyama, who wishes to be referred by the gender-neutral pronouns "they" and "them", had a breast-removal operation at the age of 20.

Me: How exactly does that work in Japanese? Ridiculous.

Each to their own; what difference does it make to you what gender people choose to be?

I'm not talking about gender and whether they think they can choose it. I'm talking about the pronouns that Yokoyama wishes to be referred by. Hence the part I quoted. So I will repeat my question, but spelled out a bit more for you. Feel free to let me know if you still don't understand.

How exactly should one use "they" and "them" in Japanese? It's rather silly to use English words in Japanese sentences.

Well done to her.

Not a word on whether transgender men should be playing on men's divisions of sports and/or using men's toilets?

In the near future we'll probably be watching transgender men and transgender women playing against each other, they could now but they just haven't met yet.

So what we'll have is a division for men and a division for everyone else, not a division for females and a division for everyone else.

Hopefully we'll have divisions for all genders so women will not be marginalized

Ignore @11:20am above, Corrected below:

Equally confused @inkochi 10:42am with your questions of pronouns:

*“I wonder if this person refers to this person’s self as ‘they’ rather than ‘I’. Pronouns can be redundant anyway if one tries hard enough (in English, though less hard in Japanese).”*

Are you intending to refer to yourself as “this person”?

“that person” and referring to Kumi Yokoyama?

Perhaps;

*- “I wonder if that person refers to that person’s self as ‘they’ rather than ‘I’.” -*

The unidentified writer(s) specifically chronicled Kumi Yokoyama would prefer (“wishes”):

*- “Yokoyama, wishes to be referred by the gender-neutral pronouns "they" and "them",…They intend to have further gender reassignment surgery after they have retired from playing.*

Therefore, keeping to what should now be appropriate and acceptable, your questions perhaps should be:

*- “I wonder if that person refers to thEIR person’s self as ‘they’ rather than ‘I’.” *? -

LBGT Olympics coming soon?

The world has gone insane obviously.

The sooner she/he/it joins the men/male/XY chromosome persons league, the better I guess.

LBGT Olympics coming soon?

I'm not sure if that was a sarcastic comment or not, but I personally think this is the solution to the issue. We long ago decided that for the purposes of ensuring the meritocracy of sport, we would separate blocks of humanity into groups within which they shared an similar range of base traits, allowing for fair competition and a meritocracy within their group. We see this in the separation of sport by male/female, as well as having separate Paralympics. As the world is accepting that a percentage of us are transgender, and more people have the freedom to declare as transgender, having a separate Translympics makes sense to me in the interests of fairness and inclusiveness.

How exactly should one use "they" and "them" in Japanese? It's rather silly to use English words in Japanese sentences.

Where did it say Yokoyama wants them used in Japanese?

So, @cleo 11:17am, for ESL and JSL learners . . .

[Q: How exactly does that work in Japanese?] A: “Difficult I think, and just as confusing as they as a singular pronoun. All that comes to mind is あいつ(**aitsu) which has a rather derogatory** ring to it.” -

. . . “*that** person*” is acceptable in English, but “*that** person” in Japanese, is not* acceptable?

Is this site helpful?

“Why Formal and Informal Speech Is Important - It’s not a word, but the delivery of the language that makes for insulting and derogatory speech. By Mina Otsuka Jun 18, 2021” -

Keeps popping up bottom of homepage as a recommendation.

Yeah, this is idiocy taken to a new level: “They intend to have further gender reassignment surgery after they have retired from playing.”

If you want to be treated normally, that is with respect, then return the same to everyone else. Don’t start making silly demands.

I haven't followed the Women's team since Homare was the captain. Is Yokoyama an important member of the team?

So upon reading more, I see I miss-understood the situation. The article says transgender male, which I think is a little miss-leading with a lack of specifics.

Kumi was born a female and has only had their breasts removed. No hormone treatment, nothing. Just breasts removed and identifies as gender non-specific. Biologically, Kumi is as female as the day she was born.

My only problem with trans issues in sport is when a person born as a male transitions to female, but retains an unfair advantage due to increased muscle mass, bone structure etc - and that's not the case here at all.

Day to day, I couldn't care less what people want to identify as. Identify as an alien for all I care. Just don't compete in competitive sports leagues as a woman if you were born male.

"They" as in multiple personalities, or they as in there is a group of them or they as in they are not sure ?

If it is a man it should not be in the woman's team, if it is in the woman's team then it is not a man .........can't have it both ways , or, .... you cant have your cake and eat it too !!

I still want my money though because I still feel like I am a multi billionaire, there for I am !!

Isn't that how this game is played.?

Yokoyama, who represented Japan at the 2019 Women's World Cup and currently plays for National Women's Soccer League side Washington Spirit, said living in the United States made it easier to be "open" about sexuality and gender.

Umm..... so according to current gender ideology, should he not play in the men's team? Or at least demand doing so? Funny thing about these different standards.

Hopefully we'll have divisions for all genders so women will not be marginalized

So....72 divisions? Or is it more now?

Where did it say Yokoyama wants them used in Japanese?

Where did it say she wants them used in English? It's a news article about a Japanese person on a site called Japan Today.

Get her to play in the men's league. She'll quickly change her mind.

The screaming irony is they sound twice the 'man' than most of the 'men' commenting here.

in the news this week: a "transgender woman" taking part in women's competition, and, a "transgender man" taking part in..... women's competition.

The creation of a TG league would be most "amusing".

The screaming irony is they sound twice the 'man' than most of the 'men' commenting here.

Well, sure! I'll be the first to admit that "they" sounds twice as much as "man". I'm only one person while "they" indicates at least two people. Kwik maffs!

The Japanese women's national soccer team is so far behind the Japanese men's national junior high school team in terms of ability that they lost to them by a large number of goals.

This is the reality.

Now lets see if she/he/it will stay as a female player or try to succeed as a male player...

At least in Japanese, -san, -sama, -kun and -chan can be used as honorifics for any person. Makes life easier.

The Japanese women's national soccer team played a men's high school team (not a national team) in 2016.

Do you know what the result was?

The boys' high school team won with 12 goals.

I thought that was a good example, too. When Neil deGrasse Tyson came up with it.

He reminded me of it recently. It was not he who came up with it though, and I'm sure he'd tell you the same.