Megan Rapinoe was honored at the White House Thursday with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The OL Reign and Olympic gold medalist was joined by 16 others on Pennsylvania Avenue for the award.
The star soccer player turned heads when she showed up to the medal ceremony wearing a white suit with some very special stitching on it. In a video she shared on Instagram, Rapinoe revealed that the letters “BG” to show solidarity with WNBA star Brittney Griner, who is being held in Russian prison.
“The most important part of today,” Rapinoe had in the caption for her video.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the Nation’s highest civilian honor. Rapinoe is a prominent advocate for gender pay equality, racial justice and LBGTQI+ rights.
Biden had nothing but praise for Rapinoe during his speech.
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“Beyond the World Cup titles and the Olympic medals, Megan is a champion for (an) essential American truth that everyone — everyone — is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect,” Biden said in his speech, via the Seattle Times. “… Megan, like Simone (Biles), I hope there is room for this medal between all the other awards you and Sue (Bird) have received during your remarkable careers. … Megan did something really consequential, she helped lead the change for perhaps the most important victory for anyone on her soccer team, or any soccer team: equal pay for women.”
Others include Simone Biles, Sister Simone Campbell, Steve Jobs (posthumous) and Denzel Washington.
