Saying she wanted to defy stereotypes, Megan Rapinoe became the first openly gay woman to pose for Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue. The soccer star was featured along with three teammates from the U.S. national squad: Abby Dahlkemper, Crystal Dunn, and Alex Morgan.
“I think it’s really quite a bold statement by Sports Illustrated, to be honest, because it has been seen as sort of this magazine only for heterosexual males,” Rapinoe, 33, said to SI. “I think so often with gay females in sports, there’s this particular stereotype about it and there’s such a narrow view of what it means to be gay and be athletic.