Everyone’s favorite U.S. Women’s Soccer Team mid-fielder, Megan Rapinoe, announced her engagement to singer-songwriter Sera Cahoone. Rapinoe has long been recognized as a force to reckon with on the soccer field and was recently launched into the public eye with the U.S. Women’s Soccer team World Cup Win. She came out early in her athletic career and has given back to the LGBT community, through advocacy with Athlete Ally, an organization dedicated to ending homophobia and transphobia in sports, as well as GLSEN, the Gay Lesbian and Straight education center. Celebrate Rapinoe’s and Cahoone’s engagement with a look back at their cutest moments!

1. When they got engaged!

This little lady’s getting married ❤️

A photo posted by Megan Rapinoe (@mrapinoe) on Aug 6, 2015 at 7:49pm PDT

2. When they kissed at the ESPY’s:

Everything is better with my main squeeze. #ESPYS @seracahoone A video posted by Megan Rapinoe (@mrapinoe) on Jul 16, 2015 at 10:02am PDT

3.When they soaked up culture while on vacation:

Sera and I ❤️….aaaaaand Paulo. @seracahoone

A photo posted by Megan Rapinoe (@mrapinoe) on Mar 7, 2015 at 9:40am PST

4. When they kept each other warm:

❤️

A photo posted by Megan Rapinoe (@mrapinoe) on Jan 22, 2015 at 10:36pm PST

5. When they took a romantic boat ride:

Where you lookin’ sugar?! @seracahoone

A photo posted by Megan Rapinoe (@mrapinoe) on Sep 14, 2014 at 11:49am PDT

Congratulations to the happy couple! May they continue to be lesbian #cutespiration for years to come.

The post 5 Times Megan Rapinoe & her fiancee were the cutest first appeared on Lesbian.com.

ESPN’s Body Issue hits newsstands today and U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) and Seattle Reign star Megan Rapinoe makes history as the first openly gay athlete to appear on the magazine’s pages. While both Olympic ice skater Johnny Weir and soccer phenom Abby Wambach have previously appeared in the Body Issue, neither was officially out at the time.

Rapinoe is joined in the 2014 issue by other elite athletes — including Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, USMNT soccer player Omar Gonzalez, tennis’ Venus Williams, snowboarder Jamie Anderson and Paralympian Amy Purdy — in tastefully showcasing the beauty of the athletic physique.

Rapinoe spoke with ESPN magazine about coming out. “I think it’s kind of awkward when everyone knows you’re gay but you don’t say it. I had been thinking about coming out for almost a year before I did. I thought about it seriously on the plane ride home from the World Cup, while I was casually talking to my friend Lori Lindsey. She said, ‘Dude, you should just come out.’ She was right. Everyone in my life already knew. If you want to stand up and fight for equal rights but then won’t even stand up for yourself and say ‘I’m gay’ — that just started to feel weird.”

Rapinoe added that it was important to her to be out at the 2012 London Olympics. “I did want to be out for the [London] Olympics. My girlfriend was coming with me and my family was there, and it just felt like the right time. I just wanted it to reach as many people as possible.”

The post Rapinoe unlaces for ESPN Body Issue first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Opening weekend action continued in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) on Sunday with two contests.

In the first, the Western New York Flash easily handled Washington, downing the Spirit 3-1 in front of a hometown crowd of 2,306.

Rookie Vicky Losada, an FC Barcelona transplant who signed with the Flash during the off-season, played a key role in the victory scoring two goals and tallying one assist for her new team. Losada’s offensive punch was welcomed with Abby Wambach sidelined with an orbital bone fracture.

After entering the half down 1-0, the Spirit tied the score five minutes into the second half when Midfielder Christine Nairn bent the ball through the Flash defense and past goalkeeper Lydia Williams on a great individual effort following a corner kick. But the 2013 regular season champion Flash responded quickly, netting a go-ahead goal from Brittany Taylor just four minutes later. Losada sealed the victory with her second goal at the 67′ mark.

Western New York Flash vs. Washington Spirit Highlights

On the other side of the country, Seattle Reign FC shut out the Boston Breakers 3-0 as Scottish international Kim Little scored a penalty kick in the 49th minute and added a second goal in the 54th minute. Megan Rapinoe capped the scoring in the 88th minute to give the hosts the victory.

Boston’s offensive efforts were thwarted by Hope Solo who had a little help from the crossbar early on when the Breakers looked to take the lead on a Heather O’Reilly cross to Joanna Lohman. Lohman’s half volley struck the crossbar and went straight to the ground, inches away from crossing the line.

Boston Breakers vs. Seattle Reign FC highlights

Action in the NWSL continues this weekend with the following match-ups:

Saturday, April 19

FC Kansas City at Washington Spirit
Western New York Flash at Chicago Red Stars
Portland Thorns FC at Sky Blue FC

Sunday, April 20

Houston Dash at Boston Breakers

The post Seattle, Western NY prevail in NWSL action first appeared on Lesbian.com.

(Photo courtesy of FlamingCity.com)

BY LYNDSEY D’ARCANGELO
Curve

With the NFL draft approaching fast, Michael Sam will continue to remain in the national spotlight. And why not? He could be the first openly gay professional football player in the history of the league. But it’s important to note that while Sam’s admission is groundbreaking on many levels, female athletes have long since knocked down the sexuality barrier in professional sports.

Here are five notable out lesbian athletes worth mentioning — not only for their athletic prowess but also for their willingness and courage to be themselves:

Brittney Griner – Basketball

Brittney Griner graduated from Baylor University last spring and left the closet behind, along with her former Lady Bear teammates. Griner was chosen number one overall by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2013 WNBA draft and began her professional basketball career as an out lesbian. She is very passionate about bullying, as she was bullied herself as a child. With an endorsement deal with Nike and her own line of bowties, Griner is poised to have a long and storied career on and off the basketball court.

See the other out lesbian athletes at Curve

Curve, the nation’s best-selling lesbian magazine, spotlights all that is fresh, funny, exciting, controversial and cutting-edge in our community.

The post 5 out lesbian athletes first appeared on Lesbian.com.

BY LYNNA DO

A foggy and overcast day was not going to stop more than 16,000 fans from packing Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California to cheer on and support the Women’s National Soccer teams from the United States and New Zealand.

Sunday, October 27, 2013 was the first of two friendly matches that the teams will meet up and play against each other. The second match will take place this Wednesday, October 30, 2013 at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

In this first ever women’s sporting event held at Candlestick Park, the US women’s team defeated the women’s team from New Zealand 4 to 1. Megan Rapinoe scored the first goal for the United States team in the seventh minute. Carli Lloyd scored the second goal for the US Women in the twelfth minute, and with four minutes before the end of the first half, Christen Press scored the third goal. Going into halftime, the US Women lead 3-0.

Hannah Wilkinson put the women of New Zealand on the board with a goal in the fifty-fourth minute, ending a potential shutout. Heather O’Reilly scored the fourth and final goal of the game for the United States in the eighty-seventh minute.

US Women’s National Team head coach Tom Sermanni stated that he felt that team New Zealand “controlled much of the pace and game during the second half.”

Megan Rapinoe agreed with her coach: “We want to be better implementing our style, kind of being the aggressors in terms of that for the game. Still 4-1, which is good, but we would’ve liked to dictate the style a little bit more.”

Carli Lloyd stated, “Overall we played a fairly decent game, four great goals. There are some things we can obviously take away and learn and improve on from this game. I know that we’ll go back to the drawing board with Tom [Sermanni] and the coaching staff and look at some film and see where we can improve.”

Lynna Do is also known as Wiki-Lynna to her friends because she retains a lot of random (and not so random) knowledge. A typical Type A personality, Capricorn and political junkie, you can find her onFacebook and Twitter.

The post USWNT crushes New Zealand in San Francisco soccer match first appeared on Lesbian.com.