‘I always saw myself as a woman’ - Israel Referee Comes Out as Trans

An Israeli football referee has come out as transgender, making her the only woman to be refereeing in the top league in the country. Making the announcement on Tuesday, Sapir Berman confirmed the overwhelming support she had received from her family, colleagues, and football officials both in Israel and around the world, and said that fans and players a like have transitioned to addressing her as a woman with little difficulty. 

“I always saw myself as a woman, from a young age”, Berman told reporters when announcing the news at the Israel Football Association. She spoke about her own fear that society “would not accept [her]” and would not be on her side, and how this caused her to hide her identity for almost 26 years. 

“I decided to come out and show who I am, first of all to myself, for my soul” she said, after explaining how the male-dominated aspect of the Israeli football leagues had made her reluctant to announce the news. However, fans and players were quick to switch to feminine pronouns and language, which Berman identified as a sign of respect. 

Taking to twitter, the Israel Football association tweeted “We have a new referee, Sapir Berman. We are so proud”. 

Berman joins the long list of high-profile transgender people in sports, including Lucy Clark, British referee who came out as transgender in 2018, and Caitlyn Jenner, former Olympian who only recently announced intentions to run to replace California Govenror Gavin Newsom from in office.