STATEMENT FROM GLAAD PRESIDENT AND CEO, SARAH KATE ELLIS ON THE WORLD CUP AND THE U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM:

“Every American can be proud of the legacy of the U.S. Women’s National Team and its out LGBTQ stars who propelled our country and the entire world forward. By elevating women’s sports, LGBTQ visibility and equality – especially, transgender acceptance – as well as racial justice and pay equity, the USWNT showed that sports is for all, and that winning is more than the final score. Special thanks to Megan Rapinoe for leading with excellence and exuberance, and for always using her platform to lift people up. Rapinoe was a joy to watch and will inspire countless generations to play, to speak up for themselves and others, and to be a leader everyone can look up to.”

Ellis’ statement is also available on Instagram and here.

Additional research:

• At least 96 Women’s World Cup players are out as LGBTQ according to OutSports, including three members of the U.S. Women’s National Team, and eight from Sweden’s national team, including Lina Hurtig whose penalty kick advanced Sweden past Team USA.
• The number of out athletes at the 2023 Women’s World Cup is more than double from the 2019
• Megan Rapinoe retires as a two-time World Cup champion who competed in four World Cup tournaments. She came out in 2012, led a six-year successful fight for pay equity in soccer, raised awareness for racial justice, and is an outspoken advocate for transgender people and youth to be welcome at all levels of sport.
• “We as a country are trying to legislate away people’s full humanity,” Rapinoe told Time “It’s particularly frustrating when women’s sports is weaponized. Oh, now we care about fairness? Now we care about women’s sports?… show me all the trans people who are nefariously taking advantage of being trans in sports. It’s just not happening… The most amazing thing about sports is that you play and you’re playing with other people, and you’re having fun and you’re being physically active. We’re putting this all through the lens of competition and winning. But we’re talking about people’s lives. That’s where we have to start.”
• At least 500 bills were proposed in state legislatures in 2023 to ban or limit essential health care for transgender people, block access to school sports, ban free speech and expression, as well as ban books by and about LGBTQ people and all people of color