Why was Megan Rapinoe awarded the Medal of Freedom? USWNT star a recipient of president’s highest honor in 2022

in Sports News 

Rapinoe was one of the champions of the recent collective bargaining agreement with U.S. Soccer that pioneered some of the most progressive equal pay provisions in women’s soccer globally.

The 37-year-old is also a champion for gay and transgender rights globally and she was one of the first women, along with USA teammate Alex Morgan, to sign up for the “Common Goal” campaign created by former Manchester United player Juan Mata, which saw athletes donate one percent of their wages to soccer-related charities.

This year’s recipients “have overcome significant obstacles to achieve impressive accomplishments in the arts and sciences, dedicated their lives to advocating for the most vulnerable among us, and acted with bravery to drive change in their communities — and across the world — while blazing trails for generations to come,” the White House said.

Specifically on Rapinoe, the White House noted that “she is a prominent advocate for gender pay equality, racial justice, and LGBTQI+ rights.” FOR MORE