World Champ Megan Rapinoe On Living The Truth

Megan Rapinoe won a World Cup for the USA this year, and shell vie for a second Olympic gold next summer in Rio. Here, the midfielder reflects on how life has changed since she came out in 2012 and where she sees it headed next.

- Julie Foudy

After you won the Women’s World Cup in July, you went on SportsCenter and the one word you chose  to describe yourself was “gaaaay.” Why?

I thought partly it was going to be a little humorous and would sort of break the ice. And what better place to do it than SportsCenter? It was a bit of a double meaning because I was very happy at that time and also very gay.

Is that the most defining part of you?

No, it’s a big part of me, but definitely not the defining thing. I think it’s my joy in life and my charisma. I like that about myself, and I enjoy that kind of exchange I can have with people.

Would you have been able to go on SportsCenter three years ago when you first came out and say the same thing?

Right when I came out? I don’t think so. It’s been a journey and a process of becoming totally out and sort of living that truth and having it be a daily thing. I’m at the point now that I want people to know that, and I want to talk about it. We’re coming so far as a society, but we still have so far to go. So until we’re all the way there, I’ll probably die talking about it.

When will we move beyond the coming-out stories?

Not for a long time, unfortunately. For female athletes, probably sooner than everyone else, but there’s Robbie Rogers [who plays for the LA Galaxy] on the men’s side—and that’s it.

He’s the only openly gay male U.S. soccer player.