The people rushing to condemn the team that signed Isaac Ranson, as well as Isaac himself, are missing a really important piece of context too which isn't surprising because BSky and Tumblr are the Nuance Allergy Sites
The team didn't make the "AGAB-only and no T" rules; the league did.
The team, in defiance of the league's wish to remove trans people from public life entirely, offered Isaac a supportive and safe environment (note that they have never misgendered him, they are very vocal about calling HIM their MAN teammate). They didn't ask him to change his name or pronouns; they let him be who he is. And the people saying "well he's not being gendered correctly if he's on the woman's team duh!" are too busy sticking their fingers in their ear screaming LALALALA to get it.
So let's be clear: the team offered Isaac safety and solidarity at a time when the sport he loved, that brought him joy and meaning, was trying to force him out. They said, you can be yourself and play with us. We don't have the authority to put you on the men's team or let you take T, but you can play with us.
And this wasn't a risk-free act! Doing this has every likelihood of opening them up to ridicule and even threats from rightwing and TERFy media who will talk about a team letting on a "mentally ill girl who is a known former doper"! They are very likely to receive death threats over this! And they did it anyway!!
And still, they are being labeled as transphobes for the actions of their league, and Isaac is being labeled a coward for not giving up his life's passion for literally NOTHING. (You think anyone's mind on trans people in sports is going to be changed because Isaac kept playing soccer no matter the cost? You think anyone who was in favor of non-AGAB-segregated sports now supports it because Isaac is on a woman's team?)
PS: Isaac did not owe it to you whiny assholes to give up on his passion to make you more comfortable. I think his refusal to give up was admirable, and I also think he has every right to say that his gender is only one part of who he is, and that he considers his identity as a soccer player more central to who he is than taking gender-affirming medication. If I had a choice between never being allowed to write again, or never being seen as nonbinary again, I would choose writing in a heartbeat. I'd kill myself if I couldn't write anymore. But I lived over 20 years not being seen as nonbinary, and I could survive 20 more if I had to.
Not everyone defines their gender the same way as you. To some people, it's "death before detransition" and to others, it's "detransition before death." It's not your right to judge what other people get to answer to that- it's only your right to decide where you yourself fall.
Good for Isaac for finding a way to do the thing that brings him joy in a safe environment. I'm going to see if the team sells any merch online.
