The announcement came Friday that Rapinoe, a captain on the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT), and 16 others had been selected to receive the nation’s highest civilian honor.
While the USWNT has reigned as one of the top women’s teams in the world during Rapinoe’s time on the roster, the decision to award her with such an honor most likely stems from Rapinoe’s relentless advocacy of liberal causes. Most recently, the USWNT vet made waves by blasting men for remaining "silent" after the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
"You’ve been silent to us, as a whole," she said, "Stand up, say something. This is your wife, this is your sister, this is your friend, this is your girlfriend, this is the mother of your children. This is all of us. And you are allowing a violent and consistent onslaught on the autonomy of women’s bodies, on women’s rights, on women’s minds, on our hearts, on our souls."