'This is people's lives': Canadian soccer star Quinn continues trans advocacy

Gemma Karstens-Smith · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Mar 27, 2026 7:44 AM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

A Canadian soccer star is speaking out about the need to make sports safe for trans athletes — and the world safer for trans people — as restrictive laws come into effect across North America.

"This is people's lives," said Quinn, a midfielder for the Vancouver Rise of the Northern Super League. "Like, this isn't something to take lightly."

It's been more than five years since Quinn, 30, publicly came out as nonbinary.

They were already well into their professional soccer career at the time and had helped Canada's women's soccer team to Olympic bronze at the 2016 Rio Games.

They've since made history, becoming the first openly transgender, nonbinary athlete to win an Olympic medal — gold — in 2021, and to compete in a FIFA World Cup in 2023.

They were also the first trans, nonbinary athlete in the NWSL and said being open pushed that league to reassess its policies and find ways to be more inclusive.

Recent years have also seen legislation passed in both the United States and Canada that curbs trans peoples' participation in sports, restricts their access to gender-affirming medical care, and places limits on how trans kids express themselves.

Those laws are dangerous, Quinn said.

"We talk about participation in sport, and that's one thing, right? And I think that's a huge thing," they said. "It was a huge thing for my life. It's a huge thing for everyone's life and how they learn with their bodies and create community and create friendships.

"And I think on the other side of that, healthcare was huge for me. Having top surgery and having that gender affirming surgery for me made a huge difference in how I show up for myself and for others every single day. And having that taken away from people, it's huge. It's life changing."

Before joining the Rise for the NSL's inaugural season last year, Quinn, who hails from Toronto, played six seasons with the Seattle Reign of the National Women's Soccer League, where they won the National Women's Soccer League Shield in 2022.

They also spent time with Paris FC in France, Swedish side Vittsjo GIK and the NWSL's Washington Spirit.

WATCH | IOC bans transgender female athletes from women's Olympic competition:

"Obviously, living in the U.S. for 10 years, my advocacy work there and trying to create a better environment for trans people in sports was really important to me," they said. "And I think moving back into Canada, that doesn't change for me."

Last year, Alberta passed Bill 29, which bans transgender athletes from competing in female amateur sports. It was one of three laws affecting transgender people passed in Alberta in 2025.

The others prohibit doctors from prescribing puberty blockers and hormone therapy to those under 16 and require parental permission for students under 16 to change their names or pronouns at school.

"Those are threats to having a safe sporting environment for everyone," Quinn said. "I think we need to be really aware, mindful and proactive in making sure that those bills aren't passed to make our sporting environment safe for everyone and inclusive for everyone."

Transgender women will also be excluded from the 2028 Los Angeles Games after the International Olympic Committee agreed to a new eligibility policy that aligns with U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order on women's sports.

The IOC said Thursday that "eligibility for any female category event at the Olympic Games or any other IOC event, including individual and team sports, is now limited to biological females." Eligibility will be determined by "a one-time SRY gene screening."

There's a "stark contrast" in the lives of the young transgender athletes that Quinn, a three-time Olympian, now mentors.

While they're finding and building communities that love, accept and celebrate them, they're also facing real challenges in their everyday lives, Quinn said.

"I think on one hand, it's really exciting. I've seen more and more trans people come out and live authentically," they said. "But on the other flip side, there's been more backlash, and obviously there's been a huge push in legislation in the U.S. and in Canada that's really restrictive and dangerous for trans people every single day."

WATCH | IOC bans transgender women athletes from competing in women's events at the Olympics:

The IOC's announcement comes days before Trans Day of Visibility on March 31st.

The day has long been important to Quinn.

"I think it's for me, growing up as a little young trans cutie, [Trans Day of Visibility] was really powerful," they said. "It was such a great opportunity, whether it was on social media or whatever else, where I could see other trans stories, trans voices, and having that be in celebration. I think that was really positive."

Now Quinn is one of those voices.

They're approached by fans after games who tell them the impact they've had on their lives. They receive messages on social media from young athletes saying they've been inspired.

"I think I'm just really happy that other people feel that way watching me play," Quinn said. "But I think it's also I'm so grateful that there are other people that feel confident in coming out and that I'm not the only story and the only voice, because everyone's experience is so different.

"And so to be able to have a breadth of stories and voices and different athletes like [American track star] Nikki Hiltz, it's a really exciting time to just take in those different perspectives and celebrate them."