OL Reign auction ahead of Rapinoe’s retirement will benefit local LGBTQIA youth
Megan Rapinoe’s influence and impact has been felt well beyond the soccer pitch.
As she prepares to hang up her cleats, we took a look at one group that could benefit.
Just a few miles from Lumen Field, where Rapinoe’s final regular season home game will be played, is Lambert House in Capitol Hill. It’s a group that serves LGBTQIA youth by giving them a safe space for after-school programs and more.
Ken Shulman is the director of Lambert House, and while he may not follow Megan Rapinoe the player or even the OL Reign as a team, he knows what it means to have their support.
“What’s really amazing is we have pro sports teams now that are able to acknowledge that they have openly LGBTQIA players… this is an amazing improvement in the world,” said Shulman.
Rapinoe has been an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQIA community, and as she heads into retirement, the Reign is auctioning off a custom pair of “scarf pants,” — yes, pants made out of Reign scarves.
They’re also auctioning a match-worn signed jersey and signed captain’s armband.
The proceeds will go toward Lambert House.
Rapinoe’s retirement and the money earned will help those efforts endure, and Shulman says it will only help as an inspiration beyond soccer.
“It takes guts to be a highly skilled player in a field of endeavor where there’s a lot of homophobia, and to be out and to insist on your right to be yourself, and to be acknowledged at being good at what you do, takes a lot of courage,” Shulman said.
Shulman says being open and out is a powerful thing that helps win hearts and minds. He’s rooting for Megan Rapinoe the advocate.
“This is how the world becomes a better place — when people from disparate backgrounds and different fields of work get together to support the youth — and in this case, LGBTQ youth — this is how we make the world better together.”
