Megan Rapinoe says male players won't come out until 'it is safe'

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U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe says she believes so few male players have come out because the environment is not "safe."

Rapinoe was asked why she believes there are fewer openly gay male athletes playing professional sports, during an appearance this week on Sky Sports’ "The HangOUT" show hosted by Chelsea’s Magda Eriksson and Pernille Harder, who are a couple.  

Rapinoe argued that women’s sports have presented a safer environment for athletes to come out, and she called on non-LGBTQ+ people to do more.

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Megan Rapinoe #15 of the United States waves to the fans after a game between Nigeria and USWNT at Q2 Stadium on June 16, 2021, in Austin, Texas. (Wilf Thorne/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

"To everyone in the sporting culture … you have a responsibility to think about what you're saying and ensure that you're creating an environment … that is welcoming and open," Rapinoe said.

"Why aren't there any out male athletes in the elite sport? 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 added. "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," she continued. 

The OL Reign midfielder, known for her activism, was the first White athlete to follow Colin Kaepernick's kneeling protest against racism and discrimination. She drew blowback from U.S. Soccer, which later required its athletes to stand for the national anthem. 

United States' Megan Rapinoe kneels prior to the women's bronze medal soccer match against Australia at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021, in Kashima, Japan. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Rapinoe talked about her decision in following Kaepernick in kneeling, saying she didn't think it was going to be as big as it was. 

"Maybe that was me being a little naive, but I still think to this day that it was an easy thing for me to do because I believed him," she said. 

MEGAN RAPINOE UNDER FIRE OVER DECADE-OLD TWEET

"There was a lot of fallout from it," Rapinoe added. "But even in the four short years after Colin was kneeling for the first time, look how far we've come — everyone who had something to say to Colin and the people who supported him have been proven wrong."

"A lot of people are on board now, and that's not to say that they were wrong, and I was right — it's not about that — it's just that sometimes history catches up quickly," she continued. "I think the more people that get involved and speak out on behalf of what's right, the quicker we can get to things instead of laboring through discrimination and racism."

United States' Megan Rapinoe , left; and United States' Alex Morgan celebrate after winning the Women's World Cup final soccer match between US and The Netherlands at the Stade de Lyon in Decines, outside Lyon, France, Sunday, July 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Claude Paris)

Last August, U.S. women’s national team player Hope Solo said during a podcast that she saw Rapinoe, her former teammate, "almost bully" players into kneeling for the national anthem.

"I've seen Megan Rapinoe almost bully players into kneeling because she really wants to stand up for something in her particular way, but it's our right as Americans to do it in whatever way we're comfortable with," Solo said on "All of US: The U.S. Women's Soccer Show."

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In 2020, Rapinoe lauded Kaepernick during the ESPY Awards and said his 2016 protests left a lasting legacy. Time magazine ranked Rapinoe as one of the 100 most influential people of 2020 due to her impact on and "beyond the pitch."