Raphael Henrique Martins always wanted to play soccer, but this desire –somewhat trivial for most Brazilians– was kept inside of him, imprisoned, for 28 years. It wasn't until 2016, a year after transitioning his gender, that he realized he wasn't alone.
There were almost no trans men in the activities of the CRD (Center for Reference and Defense of Diversity), of the São Paulo City Hall, where the social educator worked. He noticed that the attendance at the CRD was mostly of trans women, transvestites, and gay people. Where were these men?
From this observation came the understanding that a radical attitude was needed if he was to leave the stands and go onto the field: to create his own team. MBB _ Meninos Bons de Bola (Talented soccer boys) was a pioneer in futsal and society futsal with trans players.
The team trains every Sunday morning. At first, they did it in the Parque da Juventude (northern part of the capital), until they had to leave the place after harassment by cis men against the group.
After the MBB, another 18 futsal and society futsal teams composed of trans men have been created across Brazil, according to a survey by Nix Diversidade, a partner of the team. The company will supply MBB with sports equipment, such as futsal shoes, socks, and training apparel, for two years.
Translated by Cassy Dias