Top Stories

Rapinoe calls herself a ‘walking protest’ as USWNT preps for World Cup

Megan Rapinoe isn’t afraid to stand up and speak out on what she believes in.

She’s also not afraid to protest against the United States, in a U.S. kit leading into and during next month’s Women’s World Cup in France with the USWNT looking for a fourth-star and what would be back-to-back Women’s World Cup titles.

“I feel like I’m a walking protest,” she stated in an interview in a recent, lengthy feature with Yahoo Sports, ” … a walking protest when it comes to the Trump administration [because of] everything I stand for.”

The 33-year-old USWNT co-captain said that she will “never put her hand over her heart” during the national anthem and will “probably never sing the anthem again” in protest to the current state of the United States government and President Donald Trump.

“I feel like [representing the United States is] kind of defiance in and of itself to just be who I am and wear the jersey, and represent it,” Rapinoe told Yahoo Sports. “Because I’m as talented as I am, I get to be here, you don’t get to tell me if I can be here or not.

“So it’s kind of a good ‘F you’ to any sort of inequality or bad sentiments that the [Trump] administration might have towards people who don’t look exactly like him. Which, God help us if we all looked like him. Scary. Really scary. Ahh, disturbing.”

Rapinoe’s decision to protest against the United States’ government is nothing new, nor is her ability to talk about it.

Her decision to initially kneel in 2016 during the national anthem came with all sorts of backlash, first from some family in the beginning, but more from the media and those on social media alike.

She spoke about her decision to protest and the reasons for it back then in a feature story in The Players’ Tribune in October 2016.

“I haven’t experienced over-policing, racial profiling, police brutality or the sight of a family member’s body lying dead in the street,” Rapinoe said then. “But I cannot stand idly by while there are people in this country who have had to deal with that kind of heartache.

“There is no perfect way to protest. I know that nothing I do will take away the pain of those families. But I feel in my heart it is right to continue to kneel during the national anthem, and I will do whatever I can to be part of the solution.”

Rapinoe was the first white athlete to kneel during the national anthem prior to any sporting event, following after former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick who started the trend, notably, in 2016.

In 2017, the United States Soccer Federation created a rule requiring players to stand “respectfully” during the playing of the anthem.

The USSF said then in a statement that “[The American] national anthem is an opportunity … to reflect upon the liberties and freedom we all appreciate in this country. As part of the privilege to represent your country, we have an expectation that our players and coaches will stand and honor our flag while the national anthem is played.”

“I know what it means to look at the flag and not have it protect all of your liberties,” she said in response to the USSF’s decision in 2017.

She elaborated more on the USSF’s rule and compared it to what the NFL has done with the anthem protests in the recent feature with Yahoo Sports.

“Using this blanketed patriotism as a defense against what the protest actually is was pretty cowardly,” she said. “I think the NFL does it. I felt like the statement from U.S. Soccer, and then the rule they made without ever talking to me, that was the same as what the NFL was doing – just to not have the conversation, to try to just stop me from doing what I’m doing instead of at least having a conversation, and trying to figure out a [solution] that makes sense for everyone.

“We can actually have a conversation, instead of just telling me that it’s a privilege to pull on the jersey. Like, of course, it’s a privilege for me to pull on the jersey. Part of that privilege is representing America, and representing America is representing all of America. So I feel like there was a major miss on that part, which is unfortunate.”

The USWNT opens their Women’s World Cup title defense on June 11 against Thailand.

Comments

  1. Stop making the national team a pedistal for spreading your own personal beliefs. If a player does not want to wear a get pride jersey they should not be forced to or no call up in the future black balled.

    Reply
  2. She can’t have it both ways. If she feels that strongly about “protesting”, then don’t accept the call-up and quit playing for the national team. Find some other way to protest. Don’t use the Womens World Cup as some kind of selfish showcase for a personal crusade. It’s disrespectful of teammates, coaches, staff, and fans. If she pulls some stunt during our anthem, I don’t want her on the field.

    Reply
  3. It’s not like I needed another reason not to watch women’s football but I might as well throw this on the list.

    Reply
  4. She forgot to mention how much better America, or dare I say the world, will be once that monster Trump is out of office… Grow up, Meg. As much as many of us don’t care for some of Trump’s policies, one president can’t do that much to ruin a country. Look how much Obama changed America during his 8 years…?

    And I really can’t stand when a professional athlete or entertainer holds themselves up as some sort of rebel. You’re inside the system that you are complaining about, Meg. Your kneeling down or refusal to sing the anthem is accomplishing zilch

    Reply
  5. yea, sports interest killer type stuff. Do I want to watch political drama during the WWC? I think I will pass.

    Reply
  6. First and foremost, I am not a Trump supporter nor do I side with the current US Gov. With that said, has Rapinoe ever stopped to think that wearing the US jersey is about repping the people in your country – the citizens? It’s does have not to symbolize the US Government. She is using her platform to voice her opinions and I love that about her. She has that right. She also has that right not sing the anthem and place her hand over her heart but she also needs to understand that this nation is so much more than the guy that sits in the Oval Office.

    Reply
  7. Is it really a protest when you only go half way? She is going to go up to the line of where US soccer says she can by not putting my hand on my heart.
    I guess the talking makes up for the lack of real risk in her protest?
    .
    Maybe she already knows the outcome, look at Kaepernick and decided to do this to not be completely shut up. Plus having a Josh McCown type playing soccer this summer, isn’t doing the countries pride any favors.
    .
    Not telling her what she should do, just asking. Not really saying she should or shouldn’t protest, just asking.

    Reply
    • Rapinoe comes off really antagonistic in the Yahoo article. If the general media, not to mention conservative media, picks up this story it could really tarnish the upcoming world cup. The part about the USWNT not choosing to call up one of the best defenders on account of her declining to wear the US Pride jersey because of her religious faith while calling up Rapinoe who essentially begrudges representing the country is highly hypocritical.

      Reply
      • Only a rube would buy the “for her faith” argument. It’s completely disingenuous and classic cherry-picking. This player claims her religious views prohibit her from playing with lesbians? Aren’t there also lesbians on her club team? Do her religious views prohibit her to play with divorcees, adulterers, fornicators, and teammates that have out-of-wedlock teammates? How about players that wear polyester or eat pork and/or shellfish?

        Am I mistaken or do the ladies on the WMNT have a CBA with the federation? Depending on the language in the CBA, the US Soccer 2017 policy may be in violation of the basic agreement. If so, she could go to court and block, or attempt to, a decision to boot her off the team.

  8. “I felt like the statement from U.S. Soccer, and then the rule they made without ever talking to me… just to not have the conversation, to try to just stop me from doing what I’m doing instead of at least having a conversation, and trying to figure out a [solution] that makes sense for everyone.”
    Please Megan- tell me more about your solutions to problems of policing and whatever the hell else you are talking about??? Or is this more about you? How dare US Soccer not consult with you when determining overarching policy. Don’t they know who you are?

    Reply

Leave a Comment