Megan Rapinoe's two women's World Cup victories are even more impressive after learning what she was dealing with during them.
Championships always seemed to fall on unfortunate days for the out soccer legend and activist, though the reason why would never come up in interviews. The athlete also would not offer the information, despite going through something that 26 percent of the global population experiences every month.
"I've been on my period in every single major championship I've ever played in," Rapinoe tells The Advocate. "Unluckily two times."
The vast majority of women athletes will experience them, yet periods still aren't openly discussed. Because menstruation is "part of the process that gives everybody life," Rapinoe says it's "fascinating that it is so stigmatized for us," though a "millennia of sexism" might have something to do with it.
"Being a person who has a period, it's kind of hush-hush. We know it happens, but we don't have want to talk about it, we don't want to see it, we don't want to put money towards it in research," she says. "And that leads to a really huge stigma."
In order to break that stigma, Rapinoe has partnered with innovating undergarment brand Knix for Sport Your Period, a campaign that aims to empower women athletes to speak freely about their periods, and the effect they have during competitions. The line behind leak-proof underwear and period panties also wants women and girls to know what products are available to them, so they can find the right fit for their comfort.
This is particularly important for young girls in sports, as a 2022 survey found that 1 in 2 teen girls will skip sports or drop out altogether because of their period, whether it be due to discomfort or lack of resources.
"What happens, especially with young girls, is if you can't find the right products, the choices are to go and potentially bleed through and have that be really embarrassing, or not go at all and not play at all," Rapinoe explains. "Even for women, we don't always know what all the options are and how we can support our ourselves while doing the things that we want."
But it isn't just women and girls the campaign aims to reach — Rapinoe believes men and boys can also benefit from the information, as it allows them to understand and help people in their lives who menstruate. Periods also aren't exclusive to cisgender women, yet transgender men and nonbinary people are often left out of of the conversations that exist.
"It's really important to give people the the ability to live fully in whatever way that they want," Rapinoe says. "There's some people that maybe 'look' like they aren't having a period, but they are. With the conversation around trans kids and sports, ultimately all of us need to be educated about this and all of us need to know this to ensure that we can make sure that people are able to live their full lives."
Conversations about women's health are especially important as the November presidential election approaches, as Rapinoe notes "we're seeing a very deliberate chipping away and taking away of women's rights just generally, and certainly in our country."
"The platform that the Republicans have put out and the way that they've chosen to use the power that they have — whether it be them wanting to track periods or the reversal of Roe v. Wade — we're seeing authoritarianism on the rise for certain," she says.
While states across the country roll back protections for both women and LGBTQ+ people, the athlete wants to highlight the similarities between the movements. As a player who's seen her field drastically shift throughout the course of her career, Rapinoe maintains the belief that change is always possible — it just has to be fought for.
"I've been on a team where it hasn't been okay to come out, I've been on a team where it is okay to come out," she says. "What is true of equality always is that it requires vigilance and it requires people constantly fighting to ensure that we not only keep all of our rights but continue to build on them."
This still rings true for the world of women's soccer, which has felt a seeming decline in out queer players since Rapinoe's retirement. The athlete believes this generational shift is "just a sort of a natural ebb and flow," noting that her era had a particularly high number of LGBTQ+ women.
"I don't know why we had so many gay players," she says, laughing. As for the discourse on LGBTQ+ representation, Rapinoe believes "it's interesting that it sort of coincided with, and taken away a little bit from, the celebration of so many more Black players on the team and so many more players of color."
The athlete believes this "speaks to a long fight for equality," as the sport is still not entirely accepting. Rapinoe notes one player, Korbin Albert, who was selected to represent the U.S. at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Albert has come under fire in recent months, repeatedly being booed by fans during games, over online posts mocking LGBTQ+ people — some targeting Rapinoe herself. Still, Rapinoe maintains that Albert's beliefs are not reflective of the sport she loves, or the Olympic team she won gold with.
"I know that there's been a player, Korbin [Albert], who has expressed some anti-gay views," Rapinoe says. "But I think what is hopefully evergreen about this team, is that we're always fighting for not just for gay rights, but for all of our right to be who we are and to be our full selves."
"For Korbin, I hope that she's doing the work," she continues. "It's the sort of process that isn't public and transparent in a way that allows anyone outside of the environment to really see it. But I hope that it is happening and that she understands that until we are all free, none of us are free, her included."
Still, the Olympics are not at the forefront of Rapinoe's mind as August approaches. Her former team, the Seattle Reign, announced that it will be retiring her jersey next month, an honor the winger describes as "very humbling." Looking back on her career, Rapinoe says she is "so proud of all of the accomplishments that I was able to participate in, whether it be with the national team or with the Reign."
"For me, it's always been so much more meaningful what we have been able to do off the field," she says. "We have strong-armed ourselves into this moment where the league and sport are doing amazing things: winning championships and doing what we love on the field, while also coupling that with a fierce desire to leave the world a better place."
"I know I'm just one of the mouthpieces of it, but I really have to thank the rest of my teammates and people that I played with, and just that whole generation of players who I feel really changed the world for the better," Rapinoe adds. "With the rise of women's sports and the growth of the league, it seems really fitting, kind of like passing a baton from one generation into another."
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