Tag Archives: Megan Rapinoe

Megan Rapinoe Has An Important Message About Fighting For What Is Right

Since coming out publicly five years ago, soccer player Megan Rapinoe hasn’t shied away from engaging in political conversations and advancing equality.

She’s been has advocated for gay rights, she was one of five players whose names were on the lawsuit filed against US Soccer alleging wage discrimination early last year, and last year knelt during the National Anthem to show solidarity with Colin Kaepernick.

In a lengthy conversation with The Guardian, she talked about all of these things and whether she believes her outspoken attitude has hurt her chances of being selected to represent the United States (it seems she doesn’t).

I can sleep at night knowing that I genuinely tried to have a really important conversation, or at least tried to open it up. I think I came to it with an open mind, an open heart and tried to get as many people to talk about it as I could.”

She also spoke about intersectionality and how her conversations about gender, race and sexuality are all intertwined.

Rapinoe says

The more I’ve been able to learn about gay rights and equal pay and gender equity and racial inequality, the more that it all intersects. You can’t really pick it apart. It’s all intertwined. God forbid you be a gay woman and a person of color in this country, because you’d be really fucked.

As I got more into gay rights, I got more into equal pay and you just see that it’s all connected. You can’t really speak out on one thing and not another without it not being the full picture. We need to talk about a larger conversation in this country about equality in general and respect – especially with the recent election and subsequent narrative that’s coming from the White House right now.”

Always thoughtful, Rapinoe hits a lot of marks in the interview, which you can check out here.

In Her Own Words, Megan Rapinoe Explains Why She Knelt During National Anthem

U.S. women’s national team player Megan Rapinoe, has said she will continue to kneel during the national anthem “because I simply cannot stand for the kind of oppression this country is allowing against its own people.”

The out soccer star has chosen to kneel in support of 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who sparked a passionate and occasionally ugly debate about injustice, race and patriotism when he sat for the national anthem during pre-season.

Kaepernick, who is objecting to police brutality and racial oppression, has seen his protest spread to the NBA and other sports, and high school and college players have also picked up the cause.

In a detailed post on the Players’ Tribune, Rapinoe explained her reasons for kneeling before her games.

She wrote:

I haven’t experienced over-policing, racial profiling, police brutality or the sight of a family member’s body lying dead in the street. But I cannot stand idly by while there are people in this country who have had to deal with that kind of heartache.

Rapinoe is one of the US women’s team’s biggest names. She helped her team to gold at the 2012 Olympics, and the 2015 World Cup, and is an ambassador for Athlete Ally, a charity that combats homophobia in sports.

She has chosen to kneel before USA international matches and games for Seattle Reign, her NWSL club.

Her protest has been met with support from soccer fans, but US Soccer, America’s governing body, has so far taken a lukewarm view.

Read the full post below

I’m kneeling because I have to do something. Anything. We all do.

I am the same Megan Rapinoe you have known for years now. I am the same woman who has worn the Stars and Stripes across her chest, proud and beaming. I am one of the women you have called an American hero, and not just once. I look like your sister, your friend, your neighbor or the girl your kids go to school with. I am the person sitting at your dinner table and coming to your holiday party.

I haven’t experienced over-policing, racial profiling, police brutality or the sight of a family member’s body lying dead in the street. But I cannot stand idly by while there are people in this country who have had to deal with that kind of heartache.

There is no perfect way to protest. I know that nothing I do will take away the pain of those families. But I feel in my heart it is right to continue to kneel during the national anthem, and I will do whatever I can to be part of the solution.

I can understand if you think that I’m disrespecting the flag by kneeling, but it is because of my utmost respect for the flag and the promise it represents that I have chosen to demonstrate in this way. When I take a knee, I am facing the flag with my full body, staring straight into the heart of our country’s ultimate symbol of freedom — because I believe it is my responsibility, just as it is yours, to ensure that freedom is afforded to everyone in this country.

I have chosen to kneel because in the time it has taken me to write this article, many more Americans have been lost to senseless violence. I have chosen to kneel because not two miles from my hotel in Columbus, Ohio, on the night before our USWNT match against Thailand, a 13-year-old boy named Tyre King was fatally shot by a police officer. I have chosen to kneel because I simply cannot stand for the kind of oppression this country is allowing against its own people. I have chosen to kneel because, in the words of Emma Lazarus, “Until we are all free, we are none of us free.”

But this is about more than just raising awareness. I know that actions must be taken to help bring about real change. Right now, I am reaching out to community leaders, corporate partners and leaders within the Black Lives Matter movement to figure out all the ways I can best support the efforts already in motion.

While there may not be a perfect plan or solution in front of us, I encourage everyone reading this to join in the conversation. Together, we can listen to the people who are living this nightmare every day. We can try to empathize with their pain and start to understand a more complete picture of what is going on in our society. We can read articles, editorials, books and stories in order to peel back the layers of this centuries-old oppression.

Having these kinds of conversations can be difficult and complex, but so what? We should talk to our family members and challenge them, bringing these hard problems to the dinner table and persevering through uncomfortable conversations. This is not a “them” problem — this is an “us” problem.

And, if you are in a position of influence like I am, you can use your platform to elevate the millions of voices being silenced, and support them in the tremendous work already being done.

Even more simply, you can ask yourself this question: “Do I truly care about equality for all people in this country?”

If the answer is yes, then demand to be a better, more educated, more empathetic version of yourself. And demand the same of every single person you know — because, as Seattle-based writer Ijeoma Oluo put it so perfectly: When we as a nation put our minds to something, when we truly choose to care about something, change always happens.

I am choosing to do something. I am choosing to care.

Much love,

Pinoe

Rio 2016: The Decidedly Gay-Friendly Olympics

Unlike the Sochi Games two years ago, where gay rights were called into question over anti-gay laws enacted by Russia’s government, the Rio Games seem to be increasingly tolerant by comparison.

It hasn’t been flawless — for example, homophobic slurs were shouted by some in the stands at a U.S. women’s soccer match as the games opened — but there’s certain signs of progress on the inclusion front.

Olympic beach volleyball bronze medalist Larissa Franca of Brazil, said in a recent interview

I know all the prejudice that exists in society against homosexuals. We don’t choose our feelings, let alone control them.”

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Her comments, mirrored U.S. women’s basketball star Elena Delle Donne, who came out and announced her engagement last week.

That’s what I hope for and I feel like our society is going in the right direction. That’s not a story. It’s normal.”

So far in these Olympics, there seems to be far more cheering than prejudice.

Whether it was a transgender model appearing in the athletes’ parade at the opening ceremony, two men kissing during their leg of the torch relay along Copacabana Beach or the British women’s field hockey team including two teammates who are married — an Olympic first — it has already been a games unlike any other for the LGBTQ community.

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That’s as the International Olympic Committee intended, too. After Sochi, the IOC required future Olympic host cities to abide by rules that forbid any kind of discrimination, including with regard to sexual orientation.

IOC spokesman Mark Adams said Tuesday.

It’s in the charter that we don’t accept any discrimination on grounds of race or religion and sexuality is now included in that.”

Outsports.com reported that there are at least 46 publicly known LGBT athletes in the Rio Games, the highest number of any Olympics.

British diver Tom Daley won a bronze medal in the synchronized competition, with his fiance in the stands to cheer him on — and whatever buzz that created didn’t seem to overshadow the medal accomplishment whatsoever.

Daley came out in 2013 and said he’s never been happier.

I’m at my most consistent. I feel ready physically, psychologically, everything, so I’m really excited.”

Daley said the support he’s gotten has been empowering, and British racewalker Tom Bosworth can relate. When Bosworth revealed his sexuality publicly last year, he said he was blown away by the support from those who already knew and people he never met.

It’s actually spurred me on. It’s actually given me more motivation. … Now I feel like I’m doing it for even more people than before.”

10 Awesome Queer Women We’ve Been Rooting For At Rio 2016

Apparently there are double the amount of out LGBT athletes competing in Rio this year compared to the 2012 London Olympics and the majority of them are gay women.

So, we have compiled a list of our top 10 favourites for you to all look out for.

Put those tongues away ladies, these gals have got medals to win.


1. Elena Delle Donne
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Elena is 26, a basketball player, and is representing the USA. She only recently came out as gay in the August issue of Vogue. What a complete babe she is and her partner, Amanda Clifton, must be very proud indeed.


2. Seimone Augustus

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Seimone is 32 and a 2014 Basketball World Champion as well as a two-time gold medallist as well. Seimone married her wife Lataya Varner in 2015 and is sure to give her best in Rio this year. Go girl!


3. Kate and Helen Richardson-Walsh

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These two just have to be one of the sweetest married lez couples in sport. They both play Hockey for the UK team and married in 2013. They secured the bronze medal in London 2012 and have every chance of bringing it home together this year.


4. Larissa Franca

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Larissa is a beach volleyball player and will be representing Brazil. She married her wife, Liliane Maestrini in 2013. Larissa is the 2012 Olympic Bronze medallist and 2011 World Champion so she is sure to do well again this year.


5. Megan Rapinoe

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Super cute Megan plays Woman’s soccer for team USA. She recently got engaged to her girlfriend, singer/songwriter Sera Cahoone. The team are the world cup champions and it would be amazing if they could take home the Olympic gold as well. Do your best Megan, we’re all right behind you!


6. Hedvig Lindahl

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Hedvig represents Sweden in women’s soccer and she is their goalkeeper. She has a wife and a son who apparently go with her when she plays and cheer her on from the side-lines. We’re cheering you as well, Hedvig.


7. Ashley Nee

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Ashley is a little cutie and at 27 years old she represents the USA in kayaking. She is married to Ashley McEwen and they got married on the Potomac River where Ashley first learnt how to paddle. That’s just so darn super cute and gives us all a warm, fuzzy glow.


8. Katie Duncan

Katie represents New Zealand in the football team. Her wife Priscilla is also a New Zealand footballer. Before Katie left for Rio she shaved her head for charity so not only is she super sexy she’s also super kind as well.


9. Michelle Heyman

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Michelle is a striker for Australia and this is her first Olympic Games appearance. She is 28 and also sports some of the coolest tats ever. She said in an interview once that she has always been out and proud and when she returns from Rio she is going to get some Olympic Rings tattooed on her body somewhere as a memento.


10. Nadine Muller

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Nadine is a discus thrower representing Germany and has never earned an Olympic Medal so now is her chance. She married her wife on New Year’s Eve in 2013 and announced it publically on Facebook. We all hope she will be throwing her discus as far as possible with those awesome biceps of hers flexing away.

Women’s Football Players Subjected To Homophobic Chants In Rio

Earlier this week US women’s soccer players said they were told by Brazilians on the side-lines that crowds had chanted the homophobic slur usually reserved for men’s football games in the country, reports the LA Times.

The chant surfaced during the Australia-Canada match as well, in which at least four players identify publicly as LGBT.

Speaking to the LA Times, US midfielder Megan Rapinoe called the chant “personally hurtful”, after being told by a stretcher crew what the Portuguese word “bicha” meant.

She went on to say that a “mob mentality takes over”.

Rapinoe is out as a lesbian like US coach Jill Ellis, and said that she didn’t “think they mean it in that way”, but she added that they “need to understand how it’s taken”.

What does that say to players who are struggling to come out?”

FIFA has struggled to curb the use of words like “bicha” and “puto”, a similar phrase used by other Latin American fans.

The use of “bicha” by fans in men’s matches isn’t new. However, it’s a bit odd for the slur to surface in women’s matches, as it’s a term aimed at men.

A video was released by FIFA in June showing national team players begging fans to stop using the term.

Rapinoe said she wasn’t sure whether sanctions on fans using the chants would be effective, but that a conversation needs to be opened up on “racism, to homophobia, to sexism”.

I don’t think that all Brazilians fans or everyone that was there last night is homophobic. But I think that they are complicit in it as long as they’re doing it. FIFA can crack down as much as they want but it’s up to individuals in the stands to not participate in that kind of behavior.”

Women’s World Cup Winner Megan Rapinoe Discusses Coming Out in Short Documentary

World Cup Winner Megan Rapinoe is one of America’s most successful out female athletes.

The football star is featured on espnW’s What Makes Us – a new documentary series of short films directed and produced by Rena Mundo Croshere and Nadine Mundo.

In a 13-minute documentary short titled “Pinoe”, Rapinoe talks about her world-famous pass in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup quarterfinals against Brazil as well as her decision to come out in 2012.

In the clip below, Rapinoe shares that she began contemplating revealing her true identity right after the 2011 World Cup.

I feel like when you can really be comfortable with yourself and be true to yourself, then all these other cool things about you are able to shine.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl5wk0SIcXA

Women’s World Cup Hopeful Abby Wambach Opens up About Why She Never Came Out Publicly

Abby Wambach is an athlete that has managed to dodge the spotlight on her sexuality for her entire career.

For years, rumours and speculation followed her, but she never spoke out. When her U.S. women’s teammate Megan Rapinoe came out, many of her loyal lesbian fans expected her to do the same. But she didn’t.
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It wasn’t until her 2013 marriage to Sarah Huffman that she even broached the subject openly, and the wedding was done with little fanfare.

In speaking candidly in a recent New York Times article, Wambach explained why:

I never felt like I had to have this huge party for myself about my sexuality. To make a party for something that I think of as normal, for me, that just didn’t seem authentic. I wanted it to be as normal as possible.”

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According to the article, Wambach added that she wanted to show that a same-sex marriage could be as typical and routine as a heterosexual one. She also explained how her attention shifted from soccer to soccer and family:

I’ll be honest. After I got married, I definitely had a shift in emotional devotion. Forever, it was just soccer — passion, life, love. Then I got married, and I had to transfer some of my energy. I want to be my best for my country, but I also made a really big promise and choice to be the best in my marriage. That has not always been the easiest thing to manage.”

This summer may very well be Wambach’s last chance to go for gold at the Women’s World Cup.

Even though she never intended to make a bold statement regarding her sexuality, the entire world will be watching her.

Watch | Out US Soccer Stars, Megan Rapinoe and Abby Wambach Share Their Stories of Success

This year the women’s world cup comes to Canada, and we can’t wait to see the superb female athletes do their thing.

To gear up for the massive event, the U.S. Women’s National Team have created some great videos for fans to learn more about them.

The series is called “One Nation. One Team. 23 Stories.”, and features out US athletes Abby Wambach and Megan Rapinoe.

Both women discuss their families and the influence they have had on their careers.

Women’s Basketball Coaches and Athletes Demand LGBT Inclusiveness

For all of the fouls, steals and on-court rivalries, basketball is a sport that’s all about respect. As a teammate or an opponent you should respect and appreciate the other players on the hardwood no matter who they are.

That’s why it’s so baffling that in many sports (not just basketball), a culture of inclusiveness has not been fostered. Instead, due to a homophobic minority, societal pressures and the very real prospect of losing your job (as is the case in some USA states) LGBT players and coaches feel that they cannot be honest about themselves.

However, something needs to change. Now, in a new campaign by Br{ache the Silence, famous figures from the world of basketball have spoken up campaigning for LGBT inclusiveness in the sport.

In the some three minute video, such faces as Nikki Caldwell (Head Coach at Louisiana State University), Renee Brown (Chief of Basketball Operations, WNBA), Stephanie White (Head Coach of the Indiana Fever), Sheri Murrell (Head Coach at Portland State University), Mary Wooley (Associate Head Coach at University of Hawaii), and ESPN writer Kate Fagan are all present. Discussing their experiences within the world of basketball, they detail how they were afraid of being who they are, how it held them back and how others were reluctant to accept them just because they were queer.

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But they aren’t just using the platform to raise awareness. Instead of just bringing the need for inclusiveness to light, BTS say that every $20 donation made to their cause will go towards LGBT training on a college level. While it might seem unusual that they aren’t just going straight to the top and training people at the professional WNBA level, this method makes good sense.

Training the coaches and athletes in college basketball automatically means that those who rise to the professional ranks will have more inclusive mind-sets. These generations of young players will be in the game for years to come and so it will be their words, thoughts and opinions that we’ll be hearing the most.

Click here to read more about the campaign.

Sneak Peak of Megan Rapinoe Nude for ESPN’s Body Issue

A teaser trailer has been released Megan Rapinoe, showing a quick glimpse of her naked shoot. Rapinoe is among many other athletes, who will be baring it all for ESPN’s annual Body Issue.

The sixth annual edition of ESPN The Magazine’s The Body Issue will feature 22 other athletes who all pose nude, including five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams, 18-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps, Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch, Texas Rangers first baseman Prince Fielder and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka.

We somehow manage to raise the bar each year. This year’s collection of exceptional athletes and stunning photography showcases an array of sports and body types. It inhabits our mission to pay tribute to these athletes’ bodies and all they are capable of.”

Chad Millman, Editor in Chief – ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com

Megan Rapinoe gained her first foray into the public spotlight following her stellar performance as a midfielder on the U.S Women’s National Footbal Team silver medal effort at the 2011 World Cup.

Following the tournament, Rapinoe revealed her relationship with a fellow female soccer player to Out magazine. Her courage and advocacy for gay rights earned her a board of directors award from the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center.

The ESPN The Magazine’s The Body Issue will hit the newsstands July 11, is ESPN The Magazine’s annual celebration of the athletic form.

7 Lesbian Athletes Who Stood Up for Gay Rights

Here’s a list of seven openly gay women behind some of the most crucial milestones in the LGBT sports world. These women have helped challenge this sexist double standard, and show that both genders have made equal progress for LGBT rights in sports.

Billie Jean King – Tennis, USA

In 1981, the tennis star Billie Jean King became the most prominent openly gay female athlete upon revealing her relationship with her secretary, Marilyn Barnett. Unfortunately, King was unable to come out on her own terms, as a palimony lawsuit filed by Barnett brought their relationship into the public eye. However, King is now an icon in LGBT community, recently selected by President Obama to serve on the U.S. delegation to the Olympics.

Martina Navratilova – Tennis, USA

Shorty after the outing of her on-court rival Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova followed King’s suit by revealing her sexual orientation in a column in the Dallas Morning News. Unlike King, Martina came out on her own terms, setting a precedent for many LGBT athletes to come.

Patty Sheehan – Golf, USA

Patty Sheehan is one of the most successful female golfers of all time, winning the LPGA tour on 35 occasions, including six major victories. Her golfing prowess earned her a spot in the Golf Hall of Fame, and her decision to become one of the first female golfers to come out as gay has made her an influential spokeswoman for lesbian athletes.

Sheryl Swoops – Basketball, USA

When WNBA star Sheryl Swoops became one of the first African-American female athletes to come out as gay in 2005, she was arguably the most famous athlete ever to do so in American professional sports. Swoops is a three-time WNBA MVP, one of the league’s founding players and perhaps its greatest talent. She is currently the head women’s basketball coach at Loyola University in Chicago.

Brittany Griner – Basketball, USA

The most recent openly gay female athlete in the sports world is current WNBA center Brittany Griner. Griner was perhaps the greatest female college basketball player of all time at Baylor University, where she gained notoriety from her dominant statistics and her rare ability to dunk in the women’s game. In the interview in which she publicly came out, Griner detailed the bullying she endured growing up because of her sexual orientation. She is now one of the leading advocates of anti-bullying in schools, especially when directed at the LGBT community.

Megan Rapinoe – Footbal, USA

Megan Rapinoe gained her first foray into the public spotlight following her stellar performance as a midfielder on the U.S Women’s National Footbal Team silver medal effort at the 2011 World Cup. Following the tournament, Rapinoe revealed her relationship with a fellow female soccer player to Out magazine. Her courage and advocacy for gay rights earned her a board of directors award from the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center in 2012.

Leigh-Ann Naidoo – Volleyball, South African

Naidoo was a member of the South African women’s volleyball team in the 2004 summer Olympic games. Though not a household name, Naidoo became the first African ambassador to the Gay Games, a landmark achievement for a continent not known for its progressive attitudes about gay rights.