Arsenal star Beth Mead talks LGBTQ+ representation in football: “It shouldn’t be frowned upon”
Arsenal and England footballer Beth Mead has opened up about her coming out journey and LGBTQ+ representation. Since her debut, Mead has made massive waves in the football industry for her incredible skills and landmark plays.
In July, the young talent wowed fans when she helped secure England’s first major women’s championship at the 2022 Euro Final .
The 27-year-old also earned the championship’s coveted Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament titles. Aside from her numerous sports accomplishments, Mead has made waves for being one of the few openly LGBTQ+ footballers in the industry.
In a new interview with Sky Sports, the beloved star opened up about struggling with her identity before coming out. “When I was growing up where I came from, there weren’t many people I knew that were openly gay or bisexual,” she told the news outlet. “My parents, at the time, maybe struggled in the beginning, and it was something that was hard for me to say. “I really struggled for a long time, whether it was just maybe a phase or thoughts, but it wasn’t anything that I wanted to act upon.” Mead went on to say that she never felt inclined to make a big coming-out announcement, stating: “I’m just being me.
