Olympic footballer Megan Rapinoe comes out

From Out Magazine:


Megan Rapinoe is learning to be comfortable in the spotlight. She’s got to be; it’s enthusiasts who keep soccer alive.

“We need fans; we need people to watch our games,” she says. “I don’t think it happens like it does in male sports, just because we’re playing. We do a good job of opening up and having our fans know us. But there’s a line we don’t cross, because then they will dive in.”

Some fans already have. Who can blame them? Rapinoe -- also a member of the U.S. women’s national team and a midfielder for the Seattle Sounders Women -- is one of the most well-known women’s soccer players in the world. So it’s no wonder she’s inspired some enthusiastic fans—like the German guy who tattooed her likeness on the back of his calf.

“That was strange—really strange,” she says. “I’m cute, but I’m not that cute.”

With her unmistakable shock of bleached-blond hair and upbeat personality, Rapinoe inspired legions of devotees last year after making her first World Cup appearance as a midfielder on the U.S. women’s team. She had a key role in the team’s heart-pounding wins and instigated an unforgettable moment when she grabbed a microphone and sang “Born in the U.S.A.” to the crowd.

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