If the United States women’s football team scoops the on-going World Cup, Megan Rapinoe will not visit President Trump for the traditional celebratory trip.
During an interview with Eight by Eight magazine, co-captain Megan said: “I’m not going to the f*****g White House.”
“No. I’m not going to the White House. We’re not gonna be invited,” she added.
Megan made these comments after the president criticized her for protesting the national anthem. Trump said her refusal to sing the anthem and place her hand over heart during the time it’s played was inappropriate.
A lot of sports teams, both in collegiate and professional ranks, have evaded congratulatory visits to the White House after Trump became president in January 2017.
Many declined invitations, some were not invited, and a number of teams cited ‘scheduling conflicts’ as the reason for not attending.
The NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx, the Villanova University’s men’s basketball team, the University of Notre Dame’s women’s college basketball team, the WNBA’s Seattle Storm, the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, and the NBA’s Golden State Warriors are among the notable sports teams that didn’t attend the ceremonious visit.
Megan, an openly lesbian sportswoman, is an outspoken athlete to represent the US.
As one of the harshest critics of the incumbent president, the soccer star has repeatedly called herself a ‘walking protest’ to Trump’s policies.
In 2016, she was the first national team member of any sport to kneel during the national anthem in support of the former NFL quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, who used the gesture to protest against the racism shown by the law enforcement.
When the US Soccer Federation adopted a new policy which made players stand during the national anthem, Megan stopped kneeling.
However, she was criticized for not singing the anthem and putting her hand on heart during its playing.
The co-captain of the United States women’s soccer team has stuck to her resolve of protesting during the national anthem since the Women’s World Cup began this month in France.
Her silent protest has sparked outrage on social media, but a number of people including celebrities have defended her protest as a fundamental American right to free speech.
Since assuming office, Trump has rolled back a number of protections for the LGBTQ community introduced by former President Barack Obama.
The Trump administration has allowed employers to discriminate against employees of different sexual orientations, and has barred transgenders from serving in the military.
Speaking to Yahoo Sports last month, Megan said she’d ‘probably never sing or honor the national anthem again.’
“I’ll probably never put my hand over my heart. I’ll probably never sing the national anthem again,” she said.
“It’s kind of a good “F you” to any sort of inequality or bad sentiments that the [Trump] administration might have towards people who don’t look exactly like him.”
The LGBT activist has also preemptively declined the visit to the White House in an interview last month.
“I am not going to fake it, hobnob with the president, who is clearly against so many of the things that I am [for] and so many of the things that I actually am,” she told Sports Illustrated.
“I have no interest in extending our platform to him.”