Megan Rapinoe Effect: 2023 Women’s FIFA World Cup to feature a total of 87 LGBTQ players
The American trailblazer is the reason behind the acceptance of gender-fluid players in the game.
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Rapinoe for USA (credits- CNN)
A pioneer in the realm of women’s football is Megan Rapinoe. The winger is a two-time world champion and an Olympic gold medalist. She is recognized for changing the women’s game and is a symbol of LGBTQ rights and gender equality.
Rapinoe’s efforts in the game have been evident. There are expected to be a notable number of LGBTQ athletes competing in the 2023 World Cup. There are 87 players who identify as LGBTQ community members across all the competing nations which is more than double the 38 players, who participated in the previous iteration.
11.8% of the 736 women competing in this year’s Women’s World Cup publicly identify as lesbian, bisexual, queer, or nonbinary. With nine out of the 23 players on their squad for the Women’s World Cup identifying as LGBTQ, Brazil now holds the record for the most out-gay athletes. Sweden has seven, followed by Australia and Ireland with eight apiece. Kristie Mewis, Kelley O’Hara, and Megan Rapinoe are the only three American players who are non-binary.
Rapinoe openly came out as homosexual in July 2012, and ever since then, he has been a vocal and noticeable proponent. The LGBTQ community is discussed frequently in the world of women’s football. However, the stigma is more fierce in the men’s game and the number of players who have come out as gay have often received a generally harder time, professionally.
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Megan Rapinoe says she has a lot to offer as she looks to defend the world cup title
Megan Rapinoe has been a mainstay of the USWNT for the past 17 years. She has won two World Cups and an Olympic Gold Medal. However, the fire in her never dies. She is raring to win her third title.
Rapinoe says she has a lot left to offer. “I’m still feeling really good like I have a lot to offer, and excited to hopefully have a chance to defend our title,” said Rapinoe. Trying to expand on the importance of the tournament to the athlete inside her, Rapinoe said, “So it always feels like something that’s so hard-earned, which I think makes you appreciate it so much. Obviously from a zoomed-out perspective, I’m feeling all the feels and knowing this will be my last World Cup and my final season just in general, feeling really grateful to be here.”
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Arpan Ghosh
(1403 Articles Published)