Sapir Berman made sports history on Monday, officiating at a match in Israel's Premier League for the first time since coming out as transgender. "This is the first step in a long and wonderful journey. Sapir, we are proud to do it with you," the Israel Football Association tweeted as she took the field for the contest between Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Haifa. At a news conference last Tuesday in which she publicly announced her transition, Berman, at 26 already a top referee in Israel's leading soccer league, said she had always seen herself as a female, even at a young age. She told reporters that players had already begun using the feminine form of words in Hebrew when addressing her. "They really feel that they want to somehow take part in this process and even speak to men when it's not necessary and speak to me as a woman. So thank you," Berman said. Outside the stadium in the northern city of Haifa, one fan carried a banner that hailed Berman as a "super woman, incredible, brave". Berman is not the first transgender referee in the football world. A British referee, Lucy Clark, came out as transgender in 2018. (Source: CNN)
“I always saw myself as a woman, from a very young age. At first, I did not know how to name it, I did not know what to call it, but there was always an attraction to the female side [of things], and there was an envy of sorts of other women, and I lived with it — I lived with it… [while projecting] a very male persona,” Berman, 26, explained. “As a man I was successful. Whether in the referees association or in school or even with girls. To the family, I was a man as well, but when I was alone, I was a woman,” she continued. “I divided these worlds because I understood that society would not accept me, would not be by my side. So I continued living like this for 26 years.” Berman went on to explain why she eventually chose to come out. “In the end, I decided to come out, to show [the world] who I am. First for myself, for my own wellbeing, but also for my loved ones, so they wouldn’t see me suffering,” she said. “I did not let them see me suffer, but in the final days before going public and in the past few months as well, I haven’t totally been myself,” she said. “So here I am today. Sure of myself, confident that this is the right decision, that I have broad support behind me. I sincerely hope that our society will improve and be as good and inclusive as possible for all sectors and genders.” Asked whether she was worried about responses to her transition, Berman said was used to being harassed by fans on the field and even hearing sexist remarks, but that it hasn’t fazed her. Berman is known as one of the league’s top referees. As she’s undergone hormonal treatments over the past several months, however, the referee has been relegated to fourth-string roles. Last month, reports in the media revealed that one of the Premier League’s referees was gender-transitioning to a woman, without revealing the referee’s identity. The Israeli Football Association has expressed full support for Berman and is reportedly already consulting with both the UEFA and FIFA for how to properly accommodate transgender referees. (Source: Times of Israel)
