Adelaide United’s Grace Wilson becomes Australia’s first professional female footballer to come out as non-binary

Australia’s first professional footballer to come out as non-binary hopes to pave the way for other gender-diverse athletes.

This isn’t the first time Adelaide United goalkeeper Grace Wilson has come out, but that doesn’t make it any less intimidating.

“By coming out (as non-binary), I can just be honest with everyone around me,” they said.

“I haven’t been there for a year and a half, and it’s really hard to navigate when you’re constantly misgendered.

“Growing up, I faced some homophobia within my teams because I was one of the first openly gay people on my teams.”

As the first professional Australian footballer to come out as non-binary, Wilson, 18, understands the difference role models can make.

“There aren’t many openly non-binary players in professional sports,” they said.

“It’s really important to have people open and honest about their experiences, because I’ve learned a lot.”

In February, the young goalkeeper was named in the Young Matildas squad and has spent time preparing for the Asian Cup in Uzbekistan this month.

The news came as they made the difficult decision to reveal their gender identity to friends, family and teammates.

“They all had a wonderful reaction, I got hugs and people telling me how proud they were of me,” they said.

“That’s the kind of feeling I want to feel all the time: I want to feel accepted.”

Studies reveal challenges in sports

A 2019 Flinders University study found that Nearly 40% of respondents who participated in sporting activities “felt unsafe or vulnerable in a sporting environment because of their gender identification or sexuality.”

The study also found that when athletes spent time with the clubs, the majority were welcoming.

This is one of many Australian studies conducted over the past decade on the challenges faced by LGBTQI athletes.

Adelaide United midfielder Josh Cavallo made global headlines in 2021 when he became the first male professional footballer to come out.

Since then, he has denounced homophobic abuse that he faced on the field and online.

Grace Wilson was recruited by Adelaide United in 2022 and has already made appearances for the Young and Junior Matildas teams.

Despite the overwhelming support from his club, Wilson is aware that coming out is just the first step in tackling the wider issue of homophobia and transphobia in sport.

“You can’t change the fact that I play on a women’s team and I don’t identify as a woman, but what we can change is the language we use about it.

“Saying things like team, or crew, or referring to the colour of a team, the bibs that you wear – making sure that the language that you use is much more inclusive.”

Pride celebration round raises awareness

The second annual A-League Pride Celebration will take place from March 8-10, with Adelaide United headlining a double-header against Melbourne Victory on March 9.

Adelaide United Women’s A-League coach Adrian Stenta explained how Cavallo’s exit led to the annual Pride matches.

He said the club had learned a lot from engaging with the players.

“It’s not just about making announcements,” he said.

“There has been a lot of training of the staff and the playing group as well.

“It’s been great for me to be involved in this project, to be part of the journey and to be educated.”

Stenta said more inclusive and supportive environments not only made players feel safer, but also improved the game.

“It’s about mutual respect and engaging in conversations,” he said.

“That’s the most important thing.

“Anything we can do to make these environments more welcoming and supportive is helpful to the game and to the individual.”

For Wilson, events like the Pride Cup are a way to keep the torch burning for young gay athletes.

“It celebrates Pride, it also helps raise awareness for the cause,” they said.

“Being able to be openly queer, openly LGBTQ, openly nonbinary and not feel like this space isn’t for you.”

However, they said they expected backlash over their decision to come out.

“Of course I’m going to get hate and there’s nothing I can do to stop it, so I’m going to try to see the positives as much as possible,” they said.

“I just hope that by coming out, it’s something for me, but also for other people who might be thinking about their gender.”

But they have other plans too.