GENDER NEUTRAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Held at the Kottapadi Football Stadium in Malappuram, February 2017
The organisers of the event are a movement based in Kerala fighting for equality in Indian society by using the very loved game of football to spread their message. The league includes boys girls and transgender players.
The boys would mostly be playing football for teams and on the street with their friends. The girls from this area and who played in this event are mostly over the age of 12 and would be encouraged to stop playing any sport at this age and to start the process of arranged marriage. The transgender team members are unfortunately most likely to be excused from their social groups, families and communities.
The organisers chose to host the event in Malappuram due to their love of football, but also because the area is very overpopulated and extremely traditional. Girls and boys are usually separated by a curtain in the classroom for the entirety of their school life, they also have separate playgrounds. Here they play in a football tournament together with the hope of changing traditional views and to work towards a more inclusive future.
