Referee who came out as transgender makes sports history in Israel

Israeli soccer referee Sapir Berman made history on Monday, after she officiated her first game in the Israeli Premier League since coming out as transgender. One of the top referees in Israel's marquee soccer league, Berman, 26, took the field for the game between Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Haifa, marking the first time a transgender referee officiated the sport in the country. 

The Israeli Football Association, the governing body of soccer in Israel, tweeted a photo of Berman refereeing. "This is the first step in a long and wonderful journey," the association said. "Sapir, we are proud to do it with you."  Berman is not the first transgender referee in soccer, as British referee Lucy Clark came out as transgender in 2018. But she is part of a small group of professional sports referees who have come out as transgender.