MJ Déziel launched the idea of a queer soccer league in Montreal. A month later, 200 people showed interest.
It was after an assault related to his sexual orientation at his soccer club that MJ decided to start a queer team in Montreal. Faced with the enthusiasm, the project quickly turned into a league.
“My whole existence is political. Every day, I wake up and I am part of a gender and sexual orientation minority,” says MJ Déziel, who founded the Appart Studio hair salon and who is passionate about soccer.
That day, she joins the interview a few minutes late, profusely apologizing. In the world of fashion, hairdressing and the queer community, MJ is a popular and busy person.
Until a while ago, she was part of a mixed soccer club. Until she and her partner are victims of an assault related to their sexual orientation.
Following this incident, MJ offers his former team to organize an awareness seminar on LGBTQ+ realities. The team refuses, it’s a shock for her.
After this chain of events, MJ Déziel went in search of a queer soccer team, posting appeals on social networks, where she had a great community of tens of thousands of subscribers: “Sport is heart of my life, I have been playing soccer since I was four years old. There was no question of me stopping. In response, many people show interest. Until someone suggested he start his own team. That’s how the idea was born.
From team to league
“I expected to receive about twenty responses, that’s the number of people it takes to form a team. In the end, we received 112. I thought OK, I’m not launching a team, it’s a league! »
It really became a project by the community, for the community
It was then that she became aware of the “enormous need” of the community and decided to set up the Soccer for Queer league. The project is still embryonic. The name is temporary. To build the league, each member will bring their expertise: “It has really become a project by the community, for the community”, says MJ Déziel, with stars in his eyes.
“I went to the first Soccer for Queer game and expressed my interest in helping out,” said Melissa, who followed MJ on Instagram and TikTok. I will help with the management of social networks and the search for sponsorships. »
Melissa played soccer when she was ten years old, in the Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie district of Montreal. At the time, his mother had only found a league for boys. She was therefore the only girl to play.
Melissa is now part of the Soccer for Queer league. “It’s like a cooperative, where everyone gives their all,” explains the new member.
Melissa and MJ, who did not know each other a few weeks ago, display a real bond when they talk about the project. “The energy that emanated during the first match was magical”, say the two teammates with enthusiasm.
But starting a league takes work. You have to manage memberships, organize matches, provide a safe place and avoid any risk of external inconvenience. The ambition is to seek sponsorships to contribute to the expenses of the league, such as the rental of the field, which costs $300 per week.
A healthy space
MJ Déziel starts from the observation that the queer community has the chance to enjoy many safe nightlife spots in Montreal. However, she regrets that daytime places, linked to a healthier lifestyle, are fewer. This is what Soccer for Queer seeks to offer the community.
The league is also open to everyone, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. ” Our queerness is very welcoming and caring,” says MJ Déziel.
The league is currently drafting a manifesto, which will serve as a reference and will express the values to which members who join the league will adhere.
The ambition is to maintain the organization of matches this fall, and then in the winter. The name and logo are in production, and a competitive league is forming.
MJ Déziel hopes that the project will contribute to the reflection of gender in sport, and dreams of the day when it will be possible to practice in gender-neutral teams.