Short hair, who cares? Footballers discuss misgendering and Rainbow Laces in women’s game on FvH Podcast
FA Women’s National League players Caz Simone and Valentine Pursey are guests on new episode; Billericay Town’s Pursey recently reported incident of on-field anti-LGBTQ abuse; Huddersfield’s Simone is an influencer and activist; listen to the chat on the podcast now!
Two footballers playing in the FA Women’s National League have praised a campaign started up by an Under-12 girls’ team about misgendering linked to having short hair.
Caz Simone, a midfielder with Huddersfield Town, and Valentine Pursey, who plays in attack for Billericay Town, both have short hair themselves.
Pursey recently shared information on social media about homophobic comments she received during a cup match, and says it is not uncommon for her to be misgendered.
Simone is thought to be the only publicly out nonbinary player in the upper tiers of women’s football. They won the Football Black List’s LGBTQ Award earlier this year, having grown an influential TikTok channel on which they share personal reflections on social issues.
On a new episode of the Football v Homophobia Podcast, the two players gave their reactions to the “Every Girl Counts” message posted on Facebook by the York RI Girls Football team in October.
Wearing T-shirts with the slogan “Girls can have short hair – get over it!”, the York players appeared in a video set to the 2012 song “Express Yourself” by Labrinth.
A post read: “We have had lots of issues with some of our girls being called boys for having short hair, it’s led to being bullied on and off the pitch.”
As the top two tiers of women’s football in England prepare to celebrate the annual activation of the Rainbow Laces campaign for LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport, the FvH Podcast guests are keen to highlight why the policing of gender expression is so damaging.
“It drips down from societal expectations and mindsets,” says Simone. “If you tell people from a certain age that boys like blue and girls like pink, you’re going to have these types of subconscious biases in your head.
“With the York U12s team, it’s a prime example that the younger you can start highlighting these things, the better.
“We speak about bullying in schools and all these different forms of being nice to people, but I do feel like homophobia and transphobia are still taboo and people don’t know how to deal with it.”
Pursey, who was one of the stars of Hashtag United’s FA Women’s National League Cup-winning team last season, is impressed by the courage of the girls’ team.
On the podcast, she describes having been bullied at school for having short hair and that even now, she is sometimes subjected to negative opinions and comments because of it, such as in the recent match where it then escalated to the point that she made a report of abuse to the match referee.
“I’ve had short hair a long time, but that didn’t make the journey easy,” she says.
“Society sets people up for failure, telling them that they have to be a certain way.”
She believes the game can do more to help young girls “feel confident” in having short hair as well.
“Showing up as yourself is the most powerful thing you can do, but you have to have people around you that encourage you,” she explains.
“I’m fortunate that I have a lot of people like that around me, but there are still people out there that try to bring you down.
“They need to be educated and have a look at themselves, but I think having these campaigns and humanising the discussion will only help them.”
There is once again a celebratory feel to the Rainbow Laces campaign in women’s football, which is widely considered to be among the most LGBTQ+ inclusive of sports.
However, both Pursey and Simone insist that shouldn’t come at the expense of deeper discussions that explore belonging in the game.
They say they are now at points in their lives where they feel confident to call out discrimination and use their platforms to educate.
“When people have misgendered me or said comments to me, I feel like I’m in a place now where I don’t take it personally, because I understand that’s an issue on them,” explains Simone. “I can use that and spin it in a positive way.”
@yourfavouritegemini666 TW. This is probably one of the most important pieces i've ever written. With everything going on in the world right now, from abortion rights to women in Afghanistan. Theres a war on women and every single one of us has a responsibility to speak up when and where we can. It starts with society and how the world views women. Because when a women says she hates men, a mans feelings may get hurt. When men say they hate women, a woman might not survive to tell the tale. Thats the disturbing truth and one that is uncomfortable to both hear and witness in the world. We need to teach young boys and protect young girls. We need to hold men accountable and make women feel respected and safe. Womens voices need to be heard.. and the world needs to listen. And for people who think "it doesnt affect me.." remember: no one is free, until everyone is.. And its crazy that we're having these conversations in 2024 but thats the reality we are currently living in.
♬ original sound – Jwlpiano_🎹
Pursey did exactly that when she posted to her Instagram story and X account to share some information about her experience of homophobia, which is the subject of an ongoing FA investigation.
“I’d use it as a way to advocate,” she says. “Don’t get me wrong, if I’m struggling in my life separately – because I go through my ups and downs – it may have hit me harder on certain days.
“But I receive it a lot in society as well, getting misgendered and things like that. I was more surprised that it happened in a game. I thought I could show up and be me and you’d never think you’d receive that in a game.
“People know it’s still happening in society, but they don’t necessarily know that it it happens still on the pitch and at games, whether it’s fans, players, etc.
“It’s just used as a quick and easy insult and it hurts people. That’s why I chose to take it and then spread a positive message and help educate people as well.”
Also on the podcast, the two players discuss how they navigate the increasing toxicity of social media, the interactions they’ve had online, and share some thoughts on what could make a meaningful impact during Rainbow Laces this year.
Discover how you can support the Football v Homophobia campaign through education and resources on the FvH website – and for more from Caz and Valentine, listen to the FvH Podcast!
Further reading…
‘I was shocked!’ Gay player highlights homophobia in women’s soccer as Rainbow Laces returns (Outsports, November 2024)
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