You call that minimal fuss?

On the one hand we’re racing over the climate cliff, on the other hand there is this one person who is very special.

In their opening match against Nigeria, Canada midfielder Quinn became the first out transgender player at a Fifa World Cup. Like their style of play, it was done with minimal fuss.

Quinn is a key part of Canada’s midfield, their place as the midfield anchor crucial as the Olympic champions aim to add the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup trophy to their cabinet.

They played the full 90 minutes against Nigeria. The result was a goalless draw – but the Canadian number five’s role created history.

Quinn came out as non-binary in September 2020, dropping their old first name, asking to be known only by a mononym – a name composed of only one word – and saying they would use the pronouns ‘they/them’.

gasp

Isn’t that exciting?? Isn’t it fascinating and enthralling and you want to learn moreing?

Now, Quinn is looking to help drive their country’s bid for glory just as they did at the Tokyo Olympics. However, the significance of their gender identity – especially given the ongoing and often fraught conversation about transgender athletes – cannot be ignored.

“It’s ground-breaking, historic,” Har Johal, a Canadian freelance journalist who has covered the national team since 2012 and is working at her third World Cup, told BBC Sport.

“It shows people who watch sport that you can be non-binary and still play fantastic sport.”

Well duh. Of course you can, because being “non-binary” doesn’t mean anything. Literally not one thing. It doesn’t imply any physical changes whatever; it’s just an empty label.

Johal, who has covered Quinn with the Reign since their move there in 2019, says their coming-out was a barrier-breaking moment in Canadian sport and society.

“There was generally a very positive reaction to them coming out,” she says. “Canada is an open and welcoming country.

“Nothing changed from the national team perspective. Fans loved them just as much before as now.

“The greater impact was on the public who don’t know as much about the players, or soccer in general. Quinn is now seen as a role model for LGBTQ+ people, so it is tremendous they felt that comfortable [to come out].”

How can it be “coming out” when nothing is different? Just telling people to call you “they” doesn’t amount to “coming out.”

Quinn was also the first ever openly transgender Olympian, as they played for Canada at the Covid-delayed 2020 Games in Japan.

How can “non-binary” be “transgender”? Spoiler: it can’t.

There’s paragraph after paragraph more of this drivel.

I’m so bored with people being so enthusiastically stupid.

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