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Adam Rippon, Sue Bird, & Megan Rapinoe Bare It All in ESPN's Body Issue
ESPN is celebrating the LGBT community!
Olympian figure skater Adam Rippon, WNBA player Sue Bird, and soccer midfielder Megan Rapinoe graced the cover of ESPN the Magazine's 10th Annual Body Issue!
Bird and Rapinoe's issue is the first time an LGBT couple have covered the magazine.
"It’s pretty amazing to think about [being on the cover of the Body Issue], especially in the times we’re in," Rapinoe told Seattle Reign FC. "Just think of how far we’ve come, but also the current climate. Not only are we female athletes, but we’re dating as well. It’s kind of badass."
As the first openly gay male athlete to compete in the Olympic Winter Games, Rippon says the cover is liberating. "I couldn’t have done this [shoot] while I was in the closet. I think that, with my experience of coming out, I felt so liberated in so many ways."
Rippon continued:
"I don’t want to say I’ll never be in this shape again, but I’ll never be in this shape. I’ll be in another shape. This is a milestone of all the work it took me to get to the point to be an Olympic medal-winning figure skater."
Rippon, Bird, and Rapinoe are only 3 of the 16 athletes covering The Body Issue, which will hit newsstands on June 29.
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Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!
Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!
