Mara Gomez First Transgender Woman to Play Football in Argentina
Mara Gomez made history on Monday by becoming the first transgender woman to play professional football in Argentina, The Daily Mail reports.
Following authorization by the Argentine Football Association (AFA), the 23-year-old made her debut on Monday as striker with Villa San Carlos, which triumphed in a 7-1 match against Lanus.
Villa San Carlos signed Gomez in January. After talks with the Argentine Football Association (AFA) about her background, and providing blood samples to demonstrate, as the Daily Mail states, "her testosterone levels are within the parameters designated by the International Olympic Committee for transgender athletes," the league authorized her participation.
Gomez told ESPN, "When I started out, football was a therapy for me and I couldn't think it was possible to dream or consider playing in the top division.
"A few years back this was unthinkable to talk about or debate but now we are opening new roads. This is a huge achievement. I'm totally grateful to my club, to my teammates and coaching staff for opening the doors for me and for showing me respect from the beginning. I'm proud to represent a community but also a part of society and to know that I have become a reference for a lot of people."