TORONTO -- Canada鈥檚 Quinn is set to become the first openly trans, non-binary Olympian to win an Olympic medal, as Canada鈥檚 soccer team looks to triumph over the Swedes in the women鈥檚 final on Friday.
鈥淚t's such a big deal. It's so important. It's such a wonderful thing for Quinn and for Team Canada,鈥� Ravyn Wngz, a two-spirit LGBTQ2S+ advocate, told 麻豆传媒 Channel on Tuesday. 鈥淭his doesn't happen in a vacuum.鈥�
Wngz, who sits on the Black Lives Matter Toronto steering committee and has African, Bermudian and Mohawk roots, says the achievement will be momentous for the LGBTQ2S+ community.
鈥淭his is a moment that is among many moments for trans folks in the games, for trans folks at large who are making a stand to say 'we are here, we've always been here,'鈥� said Wngz. 鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting.鈥�
Regardless of Friday鈥檚 outcome, Quinn, a 25-year-old Torontonian midfielder who plays for professional U.S. soccer club OL Reign, is guaranteed to win an Olympic medal -- either silver or the coveted gold.
Last fall, Quinn came out as trans in a , changed their pronouns to they/them and now only goes by one name. They told The Canadian Press at the time that their decision to come out was because they were "tired of being misgendered.鈥�
Quinn also said they came out because they wanted to become a public, visible figure for younger people who may be "questioning their gender, exploring their gender.鈥�
They played soccer for Duke University in North Carolina and became the highest-drafted Canadian in the history of the National Women's Soccer League, before becoming the third overall pick going to the Washington Spirit in 2018.
Quinn went on to play on Canada鈥檚 2012 Olympic team, where they suffered a tough loss against the U.S. in London, and won bronze during the 2016 Games in Rio.
But they鈥檙e not the only openly trans athlete at this year's Games.
New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard is also trans and was eliminated from the women's +87-kg category on Monday.
鈥淚 think as we move into a new and more understanding world, people are starting to realize that people like me are just people,鈥� Hubbard told Reuters on Tuesday, adding she doesn鈥檛 see herself as any sort of icon and hopes her sport undergoes greater strides to become more inclusive.
TRANS KIDS IN SPORTS, WORKPLACES AT RISK: WNGZ
Allies and advocates have long noted the importance of representation of LGBTQ2S+ people in public spaces -- particularly in elected office, entertainment or in sports.
Recent research that suggests anti-trans hate is on the rise, with conducted by TRANSPulse Canada suggesting many trans people in the country actively avoid some public spaces for fear of harassment or being outed. Other research suggests avoidance was worse among , with 76 per cent of respondents avoiding three or more spaces, and only 12 per cent not avoiding any spaces.
Wngz says the achievements of athletes like Quinn and Hubbard will go a long way 鈥渇or trans kids who have been struggling with sports.鈥�
Community building and learning how to trust other people are crucial aspects that people learn from team sports, Wngz notes. But liberal think tank cites studies which show many trans and non-binary children feel their coming out will not be accepted in sports circles, highlighting the need for allies to ensure spaces are inclusive, non-judgmental and welcoming.
鈥淭rans kids and trans adults miss out on that opportunity because there is so much fear. There are so [many] assumptions and there's a lack of understanding, trust and openness to trans kids and non-binary individuals to be able to move safely within our communities," said Wngz.
Wngz said Quinn鈥檚 ability to come out safely is not a luxury everyone has and 鈥渟peaks to is a larger conversation about being safe in the workplace.鈥�
鈥淭his speaks to the environment that Quinn is in that they feel safe enough to come forward with the fullness of their being, the fullness of their life,鈥� she said. 鈥淭rans folks are everywhere... and folks will turn out more and show up in their full experience if environments were safer to do so.鈥�
鈥淲hen the most marginalized among us get freer, get safer and get more opportunities, we all get more opportunities.鈥�
With files from CTVNews.ca's Brooke Taylor and The Canadian Press
