The silent protest occurred on Sunday night as the Star Spangled Banner was played ahead of a National Women’s Soccer League match between the Chicago Red Stars and Rapinoe’s team, the Seattle Reign.
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“Quite honestly, being gay, I have stood with my hand over my heart during the national anthem and felt like I haven’t had my liberties protected, so I can absolutely sympathize with that feeling”, she told ESPNW.
Rapinoe’s stance differs from Kaepernick’s, but she’s sensitive to his position given her experiences.
“It was very intentional”, Rapinoe told John D. Halloran at American Soccer Now.
On Thursday, Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane didn’t stand for the anthem before the Seahawks’ final preseason game against the Raiders.
Last month, San Francisco 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick announced that he would not stand for the national anthem as a sign of protest against American oppression of people of color.
President Obama and US women’s national soccer team member Megan Rapinoe each spoke over the Labor Day weekend on the issue of Colin Kaepernick’s declining to stand for the national anthem, the president striking a diplomatic tone and Rapinoe taking a much more direct approach.
“What he’s done is generate more conversation around some topics that need to be talked about”, he added. It was something small that I could do and something that I plan to keep doing in the future and hopefully spark some meaningful conversation around it. When asked about the worldwide soccer body FIFA’s corruption as well as its coddling of countries that have openly anti-LGBT laws, the Women’s World Cup star said simply, “F*ck Federation Internationale de Football Association”. “Colin Kaepernick has started this movement and people are following suit and supporting him”. I think he cares about some real, legitimate issues that have to be talked about.
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Since coming out in 2012, Rapinoe has been devoted advocate for LGBT rights and has worked with the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network and other organisations. “We don’t need to be the leading voice, of course, but standing in support of them is something that’s really powerful”.
