Megan Rapinoe Posters Vandalized With Homophobic Slurs in NYC

This is Megan Rapinoe’s world right now and we’re all just living in it.

But apparently not everyone is happy with the soccer star’s success…or possibly just the part where she’s gay.

Eight Nike ads featuring Rapinoe in uniform were vandalized with homophobic and misogynistic slurs in a a New York City subway station earlier this week, according to the NYPD. The posters have already been cleaned or replaced after being discovered early Monday morning.

“Hate has no place in the transit system and we work hard to make the subway a welcoming, safe environment for everyone,” MTA spokesman Shams Tarek said. “We referred this to the NYPD which responded to investigate, our maintenance teams go the posters cleaned and we will have them replaced with new ones if necessary.”

Members of the U.S. women’s soccer team were in NYC on Wednesday for a public celebration of their incredible win. As team captain, Rapinoe gave a speech at City Hall during the event.

“This is my charge to everyone: We have to be better, we have to love more and hate less. Listen more and talk less. It is our responsibility to make this world a better place,” she said.

Post-win, Rapinoe has been doing the interview rounds, making a particularly memorable appearance on Anderson Cooper 360°, where she slammed President Trump for pushing a message of America that excludes people.

“You’re harkening back to an era that was not great for everyone,” she said. “It might have been great for a few people — maybe America’s great for a few people right now, but it’s not great for enough Americans in this world.”

Rapinoe’s strength and confidence in her convictions has clearly been ruffling feathers among those who don’t want things to change and get better for everyone rather than just a select few, but it seems unlikely that a little subway vandalism will do much to stop the absolute force that is Megan Rapinoe.