Casey Stoney: I came out so my children can be proud of who they are
Former England women’s captain Casey Stoney says she came out earlier this year for the sake of her children.
The Arsenal footballer, who came out as gay in February, and is currently expecting twins with her partner Megan Harris.
She told the Mail today that she made the decision to come out so that her kids would grow up ‘proud’ instead of hiding.
She said: “Knowing I was going to be a mum made me more accepting of myself and gave me the strength to go public.
“We want our kids to know the truth from day one and to grow up proudly knowing they are loved and wanted by a family unit with two mummies.
“It’s not going to be a secret. I had to be honest and transparent for the sake of my children.
“They will be strong and proud of who their mothers are. Hopefully, by the time they grow up, lesbians with children will be less of an issue.
“Perhaps, 20 years from now, they will walk down the road and see same-sex couples holding hands and no one will bat an eyelid.”
The footballer added that she did not understand criticism of same-sex couples raising children, given the number of single-parent families.
She said: “Why is it so important to have one mother and one father? It’s about being with people who love and care for you.
“Many children now come from single parent households. I grew up with my mum as my constant and my dad around only at weekends.
“Our children will have heavy male presence from both sets of extended families and friends.”
