Megan Rapinoe dedicates TIME Woman of the Year Honour to trans community
“We all know what’s going on in our country with the attempted erasure of trans people.”
Megan Rapinoe, a professional footballer and two-time World Cup winner, dedicated her TIME Woman of the Year award to the transgender community.
Receiving the award, the 37-year-old lesbian also spoke out against the mounting anti-transgender legislation.
“We all know what’s going on in our country with the attempted erasure of trans people,” Megan told the room.
Megan’s toast to the trans community comes at a time when The American Civil Liberties Union is tracking 409 active anti-LGBTQ bills in the US.
“The way they refuse to live their life any other way than completely whole is so inspiring,” she added. “I’m inspired by the invitation to be completely myself.”
She noted the community’s bravery and perseverance are inspirational.
“They offer us a full view of what it means to be a human in the world. A whole opportunity to be the crazy ass human beings that we are. That’s a great gift.”
“Let’s bring everyone in and figure the rest out from there.”
Megan also lamented that white womanhood and feminism have often not been inclusive.
“White women have left Black women – and everyone else – behind. Straight women leave queer women behind.”
She urged the community to “not be those kinds of people” and, instead, be “expansive.”
“Don’t ever leave anybody behind… Let’s bring everyone in and figure the rest out from there,” Megan concluded.
The rise in anti-LGBTQ rhetoric is not contained to one state; from Seattle to Missouri to Florida, acts of LGBTQ exclusion are setting a worrying precedent in the country.