Neville Southall backs the trans community in powerful Twitter #transtakeover
RADOM – MAY 29: Portrait of Neville Southall of Wales taken before the International Friendly match between Poland and Wales held on May 29, 1991 in Radom, Poland. The match ended in a 0-0 draw. (Photo by Dan Smith/Getty Images)
Neville Southall is known for his proud support of the LGBT+ community.
And since he arguably became the best sports star on Twitter, he has shared his platform with lesser-heard communities hoping to get a helping hand.
That’s why he let trans activists @Andra_me_uk and @Stubborndogs do some myth-busting about what trans people want, need and desire from a majority-cisgendered society on Wednesday night.
The man, the legend: Neville Southall (Gary M Prior /Allsport)
Using the hashtag #transtakeover, the pair answered queries from Twitter users and asked other people to join in.
Addressing the myth that trans people are encouraging other people to be trans, the pair tweeted: :”No-one would encourage someone else on a whim to be transgender.
“Many of us actively work with & support gender identity questioning ppl to help them.
“The only person who knows their identity is that person them-self [sic] #Transtakeover.”
The pair also asked people to think of “a rainbow” when they think of trans identities.
“It’s an umbrella term, think of a rainbow, any colour in that has some many variations / shades & some colours perhaps not even visible to us,” they wrote.
Also addressing why some trans people decide to not have surgery, the pair wrote: “Some trans people are comfortable with their bodies and it is not important for them to change them. Outside of countries that fund some operations they may not be able to afford it. It’s a major operation and carries some risks.”
Writing about his own experience transitioning, @stubborn dogs said that he simply “didn’t feel like the girl I was told I was.”
“I always knew I was different & didn’t feel like the ‘girl’ I was told I was. As a kid I was just one of the local lads – had short hair, an Action Man, played footie, war & fought with boys. Was labelled a ‘tomboy’ but secretly hoped one day my willy would grow…” he wrote.
Others have said that they hope that sessions like Southall’s will encourage more positive media coverage of trans people.
“Are you listening?” @mimmymum asked The Times, the Daily Mail and The Guardian.
Neville Southall is a firm advocate for trans rights.
Back in April, he bashed the “smurfs or turfs or whatever they are called” who attack trans people with “lots of shit to put up with.”
“This is just to annoy any smurfs or turfs or whatever they are called. Some of the best people I have met on here are trans people. They have lots of shit to put up with but show lots of dignity doing it,” he wrote.
