- LCFC are supporting the Football v Transphobia week of action (24–31 March)
- Foxes supporter Samantha shares her story as part of the campaign
- The week aims to take specific action on trans inclusion and transphobia in football
The Foxes Pride member, 48, started her transition when she was 37 years-old and explains some of the challenges she has faced in her life.
The Football v Transphobia week of action takes place from 24–31 March, ending on Transgender Day of Visibility.
This will be the third season Football v Homophobia have taken specific action on trans inclusion and transphobia in the game to help amplify the voices of trans people and allies in all aspects of football.
Last month, as part of our backing of the Football v Homophobia campaign, City fan Lee Lester also shared his story about being trans with the Club.
Here’s Samantha’s story…
How did your association with Leicester City start?
I’ve supported the Club since I was about 10 years-old. I’m 48 now so my affinity to the Foxes started in the early '80s. The first game I ever went to was a friendly match against Buckingham Town. I’m from Buckingham originally and I remember running around the place trying to get autographs from the players and just being in awe of them, so I’ve been a Leicester fan ever since that day really. I also recall the manager Gordon Milne refusing to give me his autograph because he had to do a half-time team talk! After that, it was 15 years or so before I watched another game, and that was after I’d moved down to London. I went along to games against Charlton and West Ham, and in one of the programmes I found out about the London branch of the LCFC supporters club. I got in touch with them and started going with them to Leicester to watch the home games and carried on with that until around 2012. There were a few reasons why I stopped going but watching the title-winning season from afar was still really special because I love the Club very much.
Why did you decide to transition?
It was something that had periodically surfaced in my life and I’d tried to repress it because I grew up in the '70s and '80s and you never saw any positive images of trans people. It was frowned upon at the time if trans people were ever mentioned. When I first moved to London I thought: 'Okay, I must be gay’ so I tried throwing myself into the gay scene, but that didn’t feel right. I tried not to think about it for a bit, but that can only work for a certain period of time before it bubbles up again. It really bubbled up for me in my late thirties around 2009, but by then we had the internet, and I was able to go online and could find out information and actually talk to other people. I didn’t have to keep it a secret anymore. At first, I spoke to a few people and thought ‘okay, I don’t need to transition because I can just be a feminine man or whatever’ but it became increasingly clear that that wasn’t right for me either. I got more and more depressed with who I was, so in 2015 I just thought I’ve got to do something about it and decided to change my name. One of the good things about this country is that you can change your name very easily by deed poll, you don’t need to go before a judge or anything like that, so I did that and then phoned my Mum who said she’d hoped I wasn’t going to do that, so we had a bit of a row, but it’s something she accepted, and we have a wonderful relationship now. She told me the other week that she always felt there was this great sadness about me but could never work out what it was, and it was because of this. I used to feel I was just like the living dead before I transitioned.
What are the challenges you’ve faced?
I didn’t start transitioning until my late thirties and didn’t start hormone treatment until my forties, so I have to accept that I’m always going to have features that are masculine to some extent because of the fact I’ve lived so long with testosterone in my body. Everyday life for me is now much better than what it used to be, and once you meet trans people you realise we’re not oddities who are playing some sort of big joke on society, we’re real people who are just different in this particular way.
What were people’s reactions like when you decided to transition?
The reactions were variable. The people you may think would be likely to have a problem with your transition can actually be great, and those who you think will be most accepting might surprise you the other way. This happened to me, and quite a few people I know were supportive until they realised this was a very serious thing for me and something I wanted to do. They were supportive as they thought it was superficial, but they backed off after a while when it was becoming more and more real. I lost touch with some people over this but have made friends with others now and it’s really different meeting people who never knew you before.
When did you go to your last Leicester City game?
I haven’t been to a Leicester game since 2012 but I’m hoping to go along with members of Foxes Pride when we’re all allowed back into football grounds again. I met Rishi Madlani (Foxes Pride member) on the off chance when I got off a bus in London one day and he was wearing an LCFC scarf, so I approached him because he looked friendly, and we got chatting and it was through him that I got to know more about Foxes Pride. The reason I haven’t been to a game in such a while isn’t all to do with transitioning, I’ve had issues such as depression and homelessness which have also impacted me. I’m really hoping to be able to go back to King Power Stadium sometime soon. It would be something I’d really enjoy.
What are the barriers facing trans people in football?
The safety element is probably the biggest problem at a football match and the fact that you’re sitting down. For example, if someone does start to give you some kind of abuse, you can’t just easily trot off, your options are to either take it, confront them or to speak to a steward. A lot of us aren’t really comfortable with talking to stewards and you don’t really want to confront someone because that can be really dangerous, so the only other option is to take it, which isn’t right. This is one reason why going with a group of people is really good because you immediately feel safer and know that you’ve got someone with you. Another issue is the use of toilets which has unfortunately turned into a big thing. It’s become a big deal and it’s not just trans women who face this problem, it’s also cis women who are gender non-conforming. It makes you feel really uneasy but unfortunately it’s something we have to deal with. I always absolutely hated going into men’s toilets, especially at football games, it was just something I had to put up with and I ended up using the disabled toilets as much as possible.
What more can Leicester City do to support trans people?
I think promoting the work of Foxes Pride is a great way of making trans fans feel more comfortable about coming to games. The Club did an exceptional amount of work during LGBT History Month in February and as someone who grew up in the '70s and '80s the level of support there seems to be for LGBTQ+ groups now throughout football, from clubs and players, honestly brings a tear to my eye. The Club just need to carry on what they’re doing in terms of publicising stories and giving time to LGBTQ+ fans because the support shown has been phenomenal. Another thing would be to make sure stewards are aware of the laws which support trans people in case of any unfortunate incidents. It would be good for them to understand that trans people do exist and that trans people to come to football matches.
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about transitioning?
I would say that if you’re already thinking about it, you’re probably going to do it. I’m not bitter about it but I do regret the times where I could have been more incisive when I was younger. I’d urge people to get support wherever they can but be aware that unfortunately some people will try and put you off your decision, partly because they’re worried for you in terms of it being a difficult thing to do, but also because they don’t really understand. The best reactions I’ve had have been from people who have simply accepted me and respected my decision. Accept first and ask questions later is the way to go. If someone comes to you as a friend or a relative and says to you that they think they’re trans, that’s an honour. You’ve been given an honour that a person trusts you enough to say that so don’t immediately start questioning them, even if the subject is alien to you.
How will you feel when you go to your next Leicester City game?
I’ll feel safe but nervous. I’ll have to go a couple of times before the nerves really disappear, but the first time will be a little scary and I think that’s because the last time I went to a game I was a different person. I know I haven’t been for a few years, but I know Leicester well and know the different routes to get to the stadium. I won’t be on my own either, I’ll be part of an amazing group of people from Foxes Pride and I’m really looking forward to it.
Please click HERE for more information about Football v Transphobia week.
For further details about Foxes Pride, please click HERE.