Megan Rapinoe, back in the U.S. women’s national team fold, spoke from Colorado today ahead of the team’s friendly against Columbia on Saturday, but soccer was not the topic of discussion.
Hours before Friday’s press conference, the Supreme Court announced its conclusion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a move that overturns Roe v. Wade and removes any federal protection for the right to an abortion.
Rapinoe had not been a scheduled speaker on the traditional pre-match press conference, but said she had a conversation with U.S. Soccer officials to be given the opportunity to discuss the Dobbs decision.
“I wish that we could just talk about soccer today, but obviously with the ruling on Roe v. Wade, that takes precedence over everything. It’s hard to put into words how sad a day this is, for me personally, for my teammates, for just all of the people out there who this is going to affect,” said Rapinoe as part of a lengthy and emotionally charged opening statement.
“I would encourage people to understand all of the different aspects that overturning Roe v Wade will have on so many…actually on everyone in the entire country,” said Rapinoe. “We know that this will disproportionately affect poor women, Black women, brown women, immigrants, women in abusive relationships, women who have been raped, women and girls who have been raped by family members. Who, you know what? Maybe just didn’t make the best choice. And that’s no reason to be forced to have a pregnancy.
“It will completely exacerbate so many of the existing inequalities that we have in our country. It doesn’t keep, not one single person safer,” continued the USWNT and OL Reign winger.
“I just can’t understate how sad and how cruel this is.”
“Civil rights are under attack”
Rapinoe spoke just one day after the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the landmark federal civil rights law that prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally-funded educational program. The reality of that noteworthy date coming just one day before the Supreme Court’s move to eliminate 49 years of protection under Roe v. Wade was not lost on her.
“It’s just oddly cruel for this to happen during this time,” said Rapinoe, who credited Title IX for her success as a professional player. “This is yet again another assault on women’s autonomy to do what they want, because it won’t stop here.”
Rapinoe listed off examples that, for her, underline what she referred to as an “attack” on the rights of the less privileged.
“Lack of health care, the disgusting and cruel attack on trans kids, the bathroom bills. A lot of the decision, I believe from from what I’ve read, Obergefell comes up a lot, in this decision about Roe v. Wade,” said Rapinoe, referring to the Obergefell v. Hodges decision that allowed same-sex couples to get married.
“I think gay marriage is under attack. I think that trans rights are under attack. I think that women’s rights are under attack. We know voting rights are under attack. We know civil rights are under attack, of all kinds,” said Rapinoe. “A very small number of people are dictating the lives of quite literally hundreds of millions of people.”
Rapinoe added that while she had “zero faith” in the Supreme Court, that she maintains a belief that voters can overcome this decision. ” I have faith in our country, and I have faith in people. I have faith in the voters, and if you ever needed a f—— motivation to vote, to get involved, quite literally people’s lives depend on it. Actual lives, we’re talking life and death, and also, your life in terms of, what does it mean to even be alive? If you can’t be your full self, like what the f— is the point?”
While relations between U.S. Soccer and Rapinoe, as well as relations between the federation and the USWNT as a group of players, have been rocky in the past, Rapinoe said all parties are working together on this issue.
“We’re not moving the game. We’re not protesting the game,” said Rapinoe of the upcoming friendly against Colombia in Utah, which has a trigger ban on abortions that begins in 30 days. “The most powerful thing we can always do is show up and not only express our supreme skill and talent and joy on the field, but to be able to have that platform.”
Rapinoe added that in her view, “we’ve felt extremely supported by U.S. Soccer, by everyone here individually,” adding that she had a conversation with USWNT general manager Kate Markgraf as well as U.S. Soccer communications staff on the topic.
“We will always be supported to use our voices, and we always have been in this federation, and we will continue that,” said Rapinoe. “I think the players and U.S. Soccer—everyone in this environment and back home in Chicago— feel that same way, and will support a group of women who rely on the autonomy of their body to do the thing that they love.”
Rapinoe concluded by calling on men across the country specifically to fight harder for women’s rights. “We live in a country that forever tries to chip away at what you have innately, what you have been privileged enough to feel your entire life,” said Rapinoe. “I should not be the loudest voice in the room. No woman should be the loudest voice in the room. This is what allyship looks like.”
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