Former Shoreham Labour candidate Sophie Cook discussesbeing the first transgender person to work in the Premier League,transitioning and her vision for Sussex.
When it comes to breaking down barriers, Sussex based politician and broadcaster Sophie Cook is an old hand.
Back in 2015, she became the first transperson to work in the Premier League in her capacity as club photographer at the newly promoted Bournemouth FC.
Initially anxious about coming out, the news was punctuated with a hearty round of applause from the players, while manager Eddie Howe later presented Sophie with a shirt bearing her name on it. No sooner was the news delivered, than the team got on with playing football.
The acceptance was in heartening contrast to the 51-year-old’s first attempt at transitioning in 2000. “The world was a very, very different place then,” recalls Sophie who lives in Lancing in a flat overlooking the sea. “There was abuse and prejudice wherever I went. When I came out in 2015, it felt like a lot of things had moved on and they had. The fact that I was able to carry on working in the Premier League as a trans woman surprised me as much as anyone.”
Sophie’s story caught the attention of Match Of The Day who featured her on the programme, prompting presenter Gabby Logan to tweet: “I am Sophie” in support. It was a flagship moment for the beautiful game and for Sophie, another in a life peppered with such remarkable moments.
Indeed, a glance at her dizzying CV gives a tantalising glimpse at the lives she’s led. “I was a Mod. I joined the [Royal] Air Force at 16. I saved someone’s life following an explosion at 18 and then had post-traumatic stress following that.”
Esta historia es de la edición October 2018 de Sussex Life.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición October 2018 de Sussex Life.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
TAKE YOUR TIME
Dean Edwards’ new cookbook features delectable recipes that you can slow cook or stick in the oven. Here’s a selection of the best
Decorative art
Not simply functional, treat your walls like an extension of your personality
ON THE FRONT FOOT
The rugby legend took the reins at Sussex County Cricket Club in 2017, rekindling his love for a sport that first won his heart on the village cricket fields of North Yorkshire
NAKED AMBITION
In the 1980s, Christine and Jennifer Binnie partied with Boy George and Marilyn and bared all as performance art collective The Neo-Naturists. Now they are working together to gain the recognition they feel they deserve
ROCKET MAN
Astronaut Tim Peake has come a long way since growing up in Westbourne and attending Chichester High School for Boys: 248 miles above Earth, to be precise. But, he says, life on the International Space Station has a lot in common with family caravanning holidays
Revolution man
Lewes’ most famous resident Thomas Paine may be the greatest propagandist who ever lived. But how did a humble customs and excise officer ignite the touchpaper for revolution in not one but two countries?
THE DIARY
17 exciting things to do this month in East and West Sussex
All in a day's work
Meet Tim Dummer, who has helped keep Midhurst’s Cowdray Estate shipshape for an impressive five decades
My favourite Sussex
Bruce Fogle is an author and a vet with a practice in London who has lived in West Sussex with his wife, the actress Julia Foster, since 1989. He recently became president of RSPCA Mount Noddy near Chichester
10 OF THE BEST Meat-free restaurants in Brighton and Hove
Brighton is often rated one of the most vegan-friendly cities in the UK. What these restaurants prove is that plant-based food doesn’t have to be puritanical – at all of these places you’ll find big flavours and a desire to push the envelope
