A Soccer Coach Comes Out as Trans to His Team in This Moving Video

Soccer coach Kaig Lightner came out as trans to his players in an inspiring YouTube video entitled "Authenticity." 

"Some of you may or may not know this, but I am transgender," Lightner begins. "That’s not something I share with players or people in the sports world very often because it’s not an easy thing. We have a lot of rules in sports about how boys play and how girls play. And that’s not really fair."

Lightner is the founder and director of Portland Community Football Club, which is one of the first leagues in Portland, Oregon to "openly accept LGBTQ players, coaches, and families."

The support from the kids was affirming and overwhelming. When Lightner asked if anyone had questions, the players chose to ask about his age over anything about his gender. "The kids are fascinated with how old I am because most of them think I’m way younger than 37,” Lightner told HuffPost. “I love kids!”

Lightner hopes his story will start an important conversation and bring more transgender visibility in sports. "I hope that there is just more visibility for trans folks in general, but especially in the sports world. I hope that people start to reflect on what gender means. I hope that people look at someone like myself who they would probably read as just another typical guy and start to question what that means. I hope this video creates dialogue, questions and conversations among athletes, coaches, teachers, parents, etc.”

Congratulations, Kaig!