Megan Rapinoe Opens Up About Wanting to Set a Good Example for Her Fans

Megan Rapinoe will be at the White House to receive the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom on July 7. The veteran soccer player is among the 17 people selected for the award, alongside gymnastics GOAT Simone Biles. 

But it isn’t just her victories on the soccer field that are being celebrated. At 36, Rapinoe has achieved a lot even off the field. 

Megan Rapinoe talks about what it means for her

Currently, the Olympic gold medalist is off in Mexico, training with her team for the upcoming CONCACAF W Championship, starting Monday in Monterrey. But Megan Rapinoe will fly back to Washington to receive her award. She has rallied for the LGBTQ community, gender pay equality, and fought against racial injustice. And it’s never just been a matter of words for her. She walked the talk.

“I just see this as a validation of all of the things that I’ve stood for, not a validation for me, but it’s a validation of LGBTQI-plus rights. It’s validation of the Black Lives Matter movement and the movement against the white supremacist power structure that we have.” Rapinoe commented on the news.

She continued, “It’s a validation of women’s rights and of equal pay and of abortion rights and of trans rights and everything that myself and so many others work so hard for.” Through all these years, she has remained vigilant in speaking up for what she believes in.

Right now, the only outcome she cares for is that she was able to inspire the people, whether they are fans of the sport or not, “I have hopefully been able to set a good example for adults and kids alike that using your voice and standing up for what is right is never the wrong thing to do.”

READ MORE: “Something That I Quit a Long Time Ago”- USWNT Star Megan Rapinoe Calls Social Media a ‘Horror Show’

Rapinoe’s battle against social injustices 

The two-time Women’s World Cup champion has scored 62 goals with 72 assists in 189 appearances with the national team in her long career. Her prolific soccer skills gave her a huge platform. And she has used it to shine a spotlight on many societal issues.

The OL Reign captain suffered severe backlash for taking a knee before two national team matches in 2016 in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, drawing attention to the racial injustices prevalent in the country. She also signed on to amicus briefs challenging Idaho’s law banning transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports in school.

At the 2019 World Cup in France, when a reporter asked her if she was excited to meet the President if her team won, she responded, “I’m not going to the f**king White House.” She then added, “We’re not gonna be invited…. I doubt it.” This garnered a harsh response from former President Donald Trump, who told her to “Win first before she talks”.

Recently, the Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe vs. Wade. And Rapinoe was among the most prominent athletes to denounce the decision to roll back abortion rights. Time and again, Rapinoe has used her platform to speak out for causes she believes in. Undoubtedly, she has inspired many youngsters across communities.

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