Megan Rapinoe Kneels During National Anthem

Megan Rapinoe Kneels During National Anthem

The soccer star knelt during the National Anthem ahead of a Sunday match-up between the Seattle Reign and the Chicago Red Stars in what she called a “little nod” to NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s controversial protest last week.

“It was very intentional,” the midfielder told American Soccer Now after her team wrapped up the game with a tie.

“It was a little nod to Kaepernick and everything that he’s standing for right now,” she continued. “I think it’s actually pretty disgusting the way he was treated and the way that a lot of the media has covered it and made it about something that it absolutely isn’t.”

Kaepernick, who led the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2013, refused to stand during the playing of the “Star-Spangled Bannger” at a pre-season game last Thursday in an act of protest against racial injustice in America.

The move proved contentious, as the quarterback was immediately met with immense backlash both on and off the field.

“Being a gay American, I know what it means to look at the flag and not have it protect all of your liberties,” Rapinoe remarked. “It was something small that I could do and something that I plan to keep doing in the future and hopefully spark some meaningful conversation around it.”

“It’s important to have white people stand in support of people of color on this,” she concluded. “We don’t need to be the leading voice, of course, but standing in support of them is something that’s really powerful.”