“I hope that we get to a stage where everyone can just choose to love who they want to love and not feel that they have to then explain that to anyone”
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The former England Women’s captain has recently revealed that she refused to label her sexuality when writing her book How (Not) To Be Strong. In an interview with Attitude magazine, Alex Scott opened up about what it was like to tell the world about her previous eight-year-long relationship with Kelly Smith in her book.
“That’s the thing — I have a really [close-knit] family and friends who all knew about [my relationship], but obviously no one really knew,” she said.
Fans everywhere applauded Alex for such an honest and beautiful chapter of her book about her previous relationship, but in its editing stages, this wasn’t the feedback she received. She was asked to label her identity, something she didn’t want to do.
“I was being asked questions, ‘You need to label what you are; you need to come out.’ But I was like, ‘No, actually, I don’t need to — I’m writing a story about love’.”
She continued: “I hope that we get to a stage where everyone can just choose to love who they want to love and not feel that they have to then explain that to anyone.”
Alex Scott famously wore the OneLove armband in defiance of the World Cup regulations at last year’s Qatar World Cup, showing her support for the LGBTQIA community. It was this action which earned her the LSEG Media Moment of the Year at the DIVA Awards 2023.
DIVA magazine celebrates 29 years in print in 2023. If you like what we do, then get behind LGBTQIA media and keep us going for another generation. Your support is invaluable.
