FIRST OPENLY TRANSGENDER BASKETBALL PLAYER HAILS FROM HUGO-KARE11

HUGO, Minn. -- All eyes are on George Washington University's women's basketball team and No. 50, Kye Allums.


Allums is a junior forward on the team and a transgender male. He is originally from Hugo and was a former high school basketball star at Centennial High School.


"I feel as if I should have been born male with male parts but my biological sex is female," Allums said.


But it was a long road before Allums could make that announcement. It was an "aha" moment that came right after a heated text message exchange with his mom, when she asked "Who do you think you are, young lady?"

"When she said that I said 'thank you mom you made me realize something.' From that moment on, I know who I am. I was excited and then I was like 'ugh, I have to tell everybody,'" Allums said.

But after the fear came relief.

"We're a basketball family and I felt I needed to support Kye in any way," said GW head basketball coach Mike Bozeman.


Al-Ums is the first transgender athlete on an NCAA Division I team. He can continue to play on the women's team because he doesn't plan to have surgery or take hormones until his college career is over.

Kye, formally known as Kay Kay, started his transformation last year as a sophomore, but this will be his first season playing as a man.


So while No. 50's announcement may have created a media buzz, his mind is on basketball and his future now that he can finally feel like himself.

First openly transgender basketball player hails from Hugo Minneapolis and St. Paul kare11.com