U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe has long been a champion for LGBTQ+ rights — especially in the world of sports.
During a recent appearance on SkySports’ The HangOUT with Chelsea players Pernille Harder and Magda Eriksson, Rapinoe was asked why there are so few openly gay male athletes playing professional sports.
Her answer? She believes women’s sports have provided a “safer” environment for athletes to come out.
“Why aren’t there any out male athletes in the elite sports? Well, it’s not safe. They don’t feel safe. They either feel that they’re going to be abused from fans, they’re going to be kicked off teams, have slurs thrown at them, whatever it is,” Rapinoe said. “So it’s not safe, and until it is safe we won’t see any male players. I think it’s safer on the women’s side, and I think we have a lot of camaraderie just between ourselves and a lot more people coming out, which makes it easier for everyone, but I would say from the sporting directors to the club owners to the fans, to all the players, it’s your responsibility also.”
The list of openly gay professional athletes in the male sports world pales in comparison to the number of openly gay female athletes — like Rapinoe — who serve as role models at the top of their sports.
Rapinoe feels the responsibility to change this environment falls on every level of the sports world. From team owners to fans, she believes a safer atmosphere must be created in order to close this disparity.
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