Megan Rapinoe (Photo by: Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE)

U.S. star women’s soccer player Megan Rapinoe, who will be on the Olympic team, answered “we’re out there” when asked when a high-profile player would come out. It was a rather novel way to answer the question. Here is the appropriate part from a video interview with Rapinoe on KickTV (video below):

Q: Do you think we’ll see a high-profile soccer player coming out?

Rapinoe: Hopefully, hopefully, I think that obviously we’re out there. It’s weird. [On the women's side], it’s accepted with the teams and within the sport but it seems as if sports is that last institution of homophobia. In all other professions, there’s plenty of out professional around but for some reason sport isn’t that way. … It’s sad there’s that there’s still thick homophobia in sports.

Rather bizarrely, the interviewer never follows up on what would be a nice scoop for him. He simply ends the segment. AfterEllen quickly added Rapinoe to its list of its 12 favorite out athletes from the last 40 years, saying:

While many speculated (and hoped) that Rapinoe was gay, she did not address her sexuality before this week when she stated “we’re out there” when speaking about gay athletes. Hopefully we’ll be able to watch her excel on the field and continue to be a voice for gay rights off of it.

“We’re out there” is pretty definitive and I echo what AfterEllen said. Quick web searches find Rapinoe linked to fellow player Abby Wambach (Zimbio even has 14 photos of Rapinoe and Wambach together, definitely making a link), so people clearly have been speculating.

It was also enough for one YouTube commenter, who joked: “it sucks that’s she is lesbian. there goes any mathematical chance i might have had.”

The gay question comes around the 5:20 mark:

Here is a cool photo of, from left, Megan Rapinoe, Marian Dalmy, Abby Wambach and Sarah Huffman during batting practice before a game last August between the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres. Photo by: Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE)

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We present our favorite photos of the past sports week.

This week’s offerings include celebrating a no-hitter, rugby practice, a shirtless soccer celebration, spring college football, baseball, NHL playoffs, Aussie Rules Football and track and field.

Click image for larger, full-sized view and on that image for the largest view:

Photo 1: Ben Jacobs of Port Adelaide celebrates kicking the first goal against Adelaide Crows during an AFL match in Adelaide. (Photo by Regi Varghese-Getty Images)

Photo 2: Ted Richards of the Swans in action during the round five AFL match between the Hawthorn Hawks and the Sydney Swans in Launceston, Australia. (Photo by Hamish Blair-Getty Images)

Photo 3: Members of the Princeton distance medley relay pose after winning the Championship of America race at the 118th Penn Relays. From left: Joe Stillin and Donn Cabral and Michael Williams and Tom Hopkins. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE)

Photo 4: Quentin Summers runs the third leg on the USA blue 4 x 400m relay that ran 3:03.13 in the USA vs the World race in the 118th Penn Relays. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE)

Photo 5: LaShawn Merritt runs the anchor leg on the USA red 4 x 400m relay that won in 3:00.19 in the USA vs the World race in the 118th Penn Relays. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE)

Photo 6: Radamel Falcao of Atletico Madrid celebrates a victory during the UEFA Europa League semifinal second leg match between Valencia and Atletico Madrid in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Photo 7: Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper (34) runs to first after he hits a single against the Los Angeles Dodgers. (Photo by Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE)

Photo 8: New Jersey Devils defenseman Adam Larsson (5) celebrates his goal with teammates center Adam Henrique (14) and defenseman Peter Harrold (10) against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center. (Photo by Ed Hartline-US PRESSWIRE)

Photo 9: Marqise Lee of USC competes in the long jump in the dual meet against UCLA at Drake Stadium. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE)

Photo 10: Dominic Giovannoni of UCLA wins the 110m hurdles in 14.85 in the dual meet against USC at Drake Stadium. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE)

Photo 11: Kansas Jayhawks defensive end Dylan Avery sits on the sidelines during the second half of the team’s spring game at Memorial Stadium. (Photo by John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE)

Photo 12: New York Mets centerfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis (9) celebrates with right fielder Scott Hairston (12) after hitting the game-winning run against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field. (Photo by Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE)

Photo 13: Colorado Rockies pinch hitter Jason Giambi (23) is congratulated by teammates after hitting a walk-off home run during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field. (Photo by Chris Humphreys-US PRESSWIRE)

Photo 14: Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jered Weaver is embraced by catcher Chris Iannetta after throwing a no-hitter against the Minnesota Twins at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE)

Photo 15: Joshua Furno (lefft) jumps a line out to Marco Bertolami of Aironi during Aironi rugby training session in Viadana, Italy. (Photo by Dino Panato/Getty Images for Aironi)

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For the first time, an English Premier soccer game was shown on ESPN’s main channel. It was a huge match, with first place on the line between Manchester and Manchester City (City won, 1-0). The game started at 2:30 p.m. EDT on a Monday, meaning there was nothing else going on in sports and ESPN simply would have shown the same SportsCenter weekend highlights for the thousandth time.

But seeing such a “gay game” on a channel reserved for more manly sports like American football and car racing upset a fair number of people with Twitter accounts, who let their homophobia and jingoism fly. Deadspin has an entire rundown of assorted negative comments, but here are the anti-gay ones:

These tweets bring back memories of a piece we wrote in 2008 – “Americans hate soccer because it’s gay” — that still gets comments four years later. I am not sure how soccer is supposed to be “gay” unless some people think all non-Americans are gay.

After posting this on the Outsports Twitter feed, this came in:

Photo: Vincent Kompany (right) of Manchester City celebrates with teammate Pablo Zabaleta after beating Manchester United. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

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Homophobia is racism and it is indispensable that we make further steps to look after all aspects of individuals living their own lives, including sporting figures. …

We must all work for a sporting culture that respects the individual in every manifestation of his truth and freedom. Hopefully soon some players will come out.

It’s rare to find someone in European pro soccer who vocally supports equality for gay athletes, so we applaud Prandelli for his strong position!

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1

We present our favorite photos of the past sports week.

This week’s offerings include baseball and soccer celebrations, college football in the spring, the NBA, fencing, Olympic trials kayaking, swimming and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Click image for larger view (and on that image for an even larger view):

Photo 1: Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid celebrates after scoring a goal during a match against Real Sporting de Gijon in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle-Getty Images)

Photo 2: John Hastings during his second K1 run at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C. (Photo by Bob Donnan-US PRESSWIRE)

Photo 3: Jeff Spear in between bouts at the Division I National Fencing Championships in Virginia Beach (Photo by Peter Casey-US PRESSWIRE)

Photo 4: Australian swimmer Mitch Larkin poses during an Olympics portrait session in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Matt Roberts-Getty Images)

Photo 5: Australian swimmer Mitch Larkin poses during an Olympics portrait session in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Matt Roberts-Getty Images)

Photo 6: Miami Marlins catcher Brett Hayes (9) makes a play against the Chicago Cubs (Photo by Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE)

Photo 7: Craig Beattie of the Hearts celebrates after scoring a penalty during The William Hill Scottish Cup semifinal soccer match between Celtic and Hearts in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell-Getty Images)

Photo 8: Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) battles with Los Angeles Clippers forwards Caron Butler (5) and Blake Griffin (32) (Photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE)

Photo 9: Denver Broncos wide receiver Eric Decker speaks to the media following the team’s offseason workout (Photo by Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE)

Photo 10: Stanford Cardinal quarterback Josh Nunes at the cardinal and white spring game at Kezar Stadium (Photo by Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE)

Photo 11: New York Mets third baseman David Wright during batting practice prior to playing the Philadelphia Phillies (Photo by Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE)

Photo 12: Atlanta Braves right fielder Jason Heyward celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run against the Milwaukee Brewers. (Photo by Daniel Shirey-US PRESSWIRE)

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Homophobia is a big one. That needs to be challenged in the same way racism has been. And there’s still what I would call institutional discrimination in football. We’re actually running a campaign at the moment called ‘Fair Share’, which is aimed at getting better representation for women and minorities in boardrooms, committees, councils and in coaching itself. What we’re talking about here is equality of opportunities. That’s a huge challenge for us, and I’m excited by the prospect of taking it on.

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This week’s offerings include baseball’s opening day, college basketball, track and field, Aussie Rules Football, swimming and soccer.

Click image for larger view:

Photo 1: Brad Green (L) jokes with Aaron Davey during a Melbourne Demons AFL training session in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Hamish Blair-Getty Images)

Photo 2: Baylor Bears center Brittney Griner cuts the net after leading her team to the 2012 NCAA women’s basketball title in Denver. (Photo by Chris Humphreys-US PRESSWIRE)

Photo 3: New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis (1) attempts to block a shot by Los Angeles Galaxy forward Robbie Keane (7) during an MLS game. (Photo by Kelvin Kuo-US PRESSWIRE)

Photo 4: Trey Hardee of the Texas Longhorns celebrates winning the decathlon at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. (Photo by: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE)

Photo 5: Michael Phelps celebrates winning the men’s 400 meter individual medley at the Indianapolis Grand Prix. (Photo by: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE)

Photo 6: Michael Frater of Jamaica jumps out of the starting blocks during a training session ahead of a meet in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Mark Dadswell-Getty Images)

Photo 7: Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jonathan Papelbon reacts after securing the final out against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the baseball season opener for both teams. (Photo by Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE)

Photo 8: Los Angeles Dodgers outfielders Jerry Hairston Jr. (6), Matt Kemp (center) and Andre Ethier celebrate the team’s opening day win in San Diego. (Photo by Christopher Hanewinckel-US PRESSWIRE)

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Outsports: I first came across your name on a gay Web site. Then another. It seems you’ve built quite a following among gay men. How do you feel about that?
Lance Parker: I am happy that I have been able to grow a fan base that appreciates my soccer and modeling, regardless of who they are.

How long have you been a model? How did you get your start?
I have been modeling for only a couple of years now, on and off. It all started one day at the airport when I was flying out for a soccer game and was approached by someone that told me I had nice legs. My first thought was that they were just creeping on me, but then we got to talking for a bit. They had some people that they wanted me to meet regarding modeling, and so we exchanged information. I was thinking that they probably told this to just about everyone they ran into, but I figured, what’s the worst that could come from it. Whenever I was back from the trip, they got in contact with me, we met up, and the next day I was with a modeling agency. I never really saw myself modeling, but I was happy that I had a way to bring in some extra income. And although I don’t ever really have time to model during my soccer season, it has become something that I really enjoy doing whenever I have some off time.

The vast majority of pro athletes in America would never do underwear or speedo photo shoots. Why do you think that is?
I think it all has to do with just being comfortable in your own skin, and also your surroundings. When I first started modeling, I was a bit uneasy about it, but the more I did it, and the more practice I had, the more comfortable and confident I became. While some guys would never even consider doing a photo shoot, I bet a vast majority of players would consider it if they were put in a comfortable environment and had enough self confidence in the way that they would look in the pictures.

Do you do anything differently when you model? We hear of guys dehydrating themselves right before a shoot. Is that one reason it’s hard to model during the season?
The main reason that it is hard to model during the season is because many shoots last anywhere from 1-3 full days. Seeing how I have a practice or game almost every day during the soccer season, it makes it very difficult to have time for a shoot since I cannot be at it all day long.

Also, you usually have to fly to a different city for the shoot, and that takes an extra day as well. There are definitely different things I have to do when I am modeling, as oppose to playing soccer. While I am playing soccer, I have a bit more leniency on what I can eat. Also, since I have to be extremely explosive and strong to be a goal keeper, the way I train is different. When I am not playing soccer and just modeling, I have to focus on my diet a lot more, and my workouts change. During this time I need my body to look good, and not necessarily have the strength that I normally would during soccer season. All show, and no go. As for guys dehydrating themselves when they model, some do, but I choose not to. You can look a little extra cut and shredded out, but it is terrible for your body.

Have you gotten teased about it by teammates?
Haha, yes. I had done a pretty good job about keeping my modeling a secret from most everyone except for my family and close friends, until this past year. A few of my teammates were looking around on the computer, and when they searched my name, a bunch of my modeling pictures came up. The cat’s out of the bag! A few days later, I came into the locker room to find some of those pictures, blown up to poster size, hanging up on the walls of the main room and showers. It was all in good fun though, and we all had a laugh.

Why are you so comfortable with it?
Like I said earlier, it took some time for me to become comfortable and confident in front of the camera. I think it is like any other thing that you do. The more that you practice that certain craft, the better you will become at it.

Have you ever played on a team with an openly gay player?
No, I have never been a part of a team where I had an openly gay teammate.

How do you think your current team would accept an openly gay teammate?
All of my teammates are really great guys, and everyone gets along with everyone. We have become just one big family. Some teams have these cliques where certain guys will only hang out with certain other guys, and not really talk with anyone else. My team does not have that. So if we were to have an openly gay teammate, I am sure that he would be accepted just as everyone else is, and would have no problem becoming a part of our family.

How often do you hear gay slurs like “fag” in practice, in the locker room, or during a game?
I have actually not heard it much at all, if ever lately. I don’t know if that’s just due to the slur becoming outdated, or people actually starting to realize how much damage it could have on someone.

Do you have gay friends or relatives?
Yes, I have actually become friends with many gay people. Seeing as how the majority of people in the fashion and modeling world are gay, I have had the chance to meet people with all different kinds of personalities and backgrounds. I feel very lucky to have been able to create the great friendships I have through the years.

Are “gay” issues being discussed more amongst your teammates?
No, it doesn’t seem to be a topic that comes up very much, so we never really have a reason to talk about it.

How do you feel about gay marriage?
I think that if two people love each other, then they should be able to be together, regardless of who they are.

Black and white photos courtesy of Scott Teitler for Fantastics Magazine. Color photos courtesy of Chosen Models.

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Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said: “In these discussions we made it very clear that Borussia Dortmund is for tolerance, openness and respectful behavior toward everyone. We condemn violence and racism.”

Dortmund is located about 60 miles northeast of Cologne and 150 miles southeast of Amsterdam.

PHOTO: LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 23: Mikel Arteta of Arsenal and Moritz Leitner of Dortmund battle for the ball during the UEFA Champions League Group F match between Arsenal FC and Borussia Dortmund at Emirates Stadium on November 23, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

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