There is no doubt that Megan Rapinoe is one of the greatest American professional soccer players. She was named the Best FIFA Women’s Player in 2019 and is an Olympic Gold and Ballon d’Or Féminin winner. But beyond her famous playing skills on the field, she is also known for her activism, particularly for members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Rapinoe was only four years old when she kicked her first soccer ball and developed a love for the game. Soccer propelled her to stardom over three World Cups and a successful professional career. She played for the Chicago Red Stars, Philadelphia Independence, and MagicJack in Women's Professional Soccer, as well as Olympique Lyon in France's Division 1 Féminine. Despite her obvious success in the sport, her parents also taught her that the way she lived her life was much more important than winning. From the beginning, she always did what she could to stand up for what was right.
She has notably been involved in the women’s team’s equal pay complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission since 2016. Along with her national teammates, she filed a lawsuit against the U.S Soccer Federation in 2019, blaming it for gender discrimination.
She is also well-known for her many philanthropic efforts for the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network and serves as an advocate for several other LGBTQIA+ organizations. After the 2011 World Cup, she decided to come out publicly as gay and use her platform to advocate for marriage equality. An advocate for equality in all its forms, she has also publicly advocated against racial injustice and discrimination. In 2016, for instance, she kneeled during the national anthem in solidarity with NFL star Colin Kaepernick's peaceful protests against racial injustices, which began with him sitting during the anthem the month prior.
“If we want to be proud to be from a country like America and all the things that we hang our hats on, like diversity, equality, land of the free and home of the brave, it's everybody's responsibility to ensure that everyone in the country is being afforded the same rights,” she said.
Her approach to the world is fuelled by kindness and authenticity. And in her 2020 published memoir titled One Life, Rapinoe calls readers to action with the hope that others will follow and understand the imperative of speaking out about social injustice in the world.