Megan Rapinoe Comes Out as Gay, Reveals Relationship
United States Olympic soccer star Megan Rapinoe has publicly stated that she is homosexual and in a committed relationship with another soccer player from Australia. The Olympian came out as gay in the latest issue of "Out" magazine.
"I think they were trying to be respectful and that it's my job to say, 'I'm gay,'" Rapinoe told interviewer Jerry Portwood. "Which I am. For the record: I am gay."
Rapinoe and her girlfriend have been in a serious relationship for three years, though Rapinoe's girlfriend is still unknown. She talked about revealing their controversial relationship to the world, and Rapinoe still feels that sports are "homophobic, in the sense that not a lot of people are out."
"In female sports, if you're gay, most likely your team knows it pretty quickly. It's very open and widely supported. For males, it's not that way at all. It's sad," Rapinoe added.
Part of the reason she decided to come forward now has to do with the upcoming Olympic games.
"To be honest, I've been thinking about it for a while, trying to find a time that works," she told Portwood.
"Now, leading up to the Olympics, people want to get personal stories. Our team in general is in a position where people look up to us and kids look up to us. I embrace that, and I think I have a huge LGBT following," Rapinoe explained.
According to USSoccer.com, Rapinoe is "one of the team's best goal scorers and craftiest players." She overcame several knee injuries to make the Olympic team. Rapinoe began playing in 2006 and has worked her way up the field in order to make it to London.
"I think it's pretty cool, the opportunity that I have, especially in sports," Rapinoe said of her choice. "There's really not that many out athletes. It's important to be out and to live my life that way."
