A soccer referee has made history as the first transgender woman to take charge of an international match.
On Monday, March 7th, Sapir Berman officiated a UEFA Women’s Under-17 Championship qualifier in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Montenegro’s 2-1 win over the hosts wouldn’t have garnered much media coverage were it not for the game’s significance to the LGBTQ football community.
Now 30, she came out publicly as trans in May 2021. She had been officiating matches in the top-tier men’s Israeli Premier League since the start of the previous season.
The Israeli FA and Referees Association both pledged their full support to Berman when she came out. In Israel, the LGBT community is given much respect.
Reacting to her UEFA fixture appointment, Yariv Teper — the CEO of the Israeli National Referees Association — said: “We had the privilege of accompanying Sapir throughout her courageous, groundbreaking, and inspiring journey.
“Without any concessions, Sapir managed on her own to achieve the international badge she so desired.
“Her personality and professionalism will lead her to shatter many more glass ceilings in the future. We will continue to be with her and help her grow.”
Berman is also the subject of a new documentary titled “Sapir” which has been playing on the international festival circuit since its premiere last summer.
The film follows her life on and off the pitch, including her marriage to her wife in June 2023
“My dream is to referee major matches in Europe. Champions League, European Championship, maybe even World Cup,” Berman stated. “This is my time, my chance to conquer the football world. It’s an overwhelming feeling — immense pride, indescribable excitement — but more than anything, it’s an opportunity to continue doing what I love, in the world that shaped me and where I grew up.
In 2021 Israeli came out as transgender and is living — and enforcing the rules of the game — as the only woman in the country’s top-shelf league.
“I always saw myself as a woman, from a young age,” Berman, whose birth name was “Sagi,” told reporters at Ramat Gan Stadium, headquarters of the Israel Football Association at the time. “I realized society will not accept me, will not be on my side, so I continued like this for nearly 26 years,” she said.
Berman said that being involved in such a male-dominated profession made her hesitate to go public. But about six months ago, “I decided to come out and to show who I am, first of all to myself, for my soul,” she said with a smile.
“I step into this moment with deep humility and excitement, hoping to do my very best, to represent my country, to stand for my sisters in the LGBTQ+ community, and to show that every dream is possible.”
She does an excellent job and will do many great things in the future and we wish her the best of luck without hatred, prejudice, or persecution.