Comment on this story</tle><path d="M14 14V2H2v9.47h8.18L12.43 13ZM3 10.52V3h10v9.23l-2.5-1.66Z"></path></svg></button><span aria-hidn="te" class="wpds-c-fBEbFG">Comment</span><span class="wpds-c-fOvfhP wpds-c-fOvfhP-kshkDy-isCommentType-te none" aria-hidn="te"><span class="ment-unt font-xxxxs sc-ral-unt"><span class="ral-unt unfed" data-ral-notext="te"></span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div><div class="teaser-ntent grid-center"><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">CARSON, Calif. — The tattoo, pete and scripted cursive, reads: “Nature ran her urse.” Megan Rapoe had the phrase wrten on her left biceps long ago, and as dk falls upon her vibrant soccer reer, the words sound like a prophecy fulfilled.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Notice the distctn om the sayg, “Let nature take s urse.” There is no ht of docily the Rapoe variatn, no submissn to lettg life happen whout ristance. On her sk is a remr to be fortable her sk. In a world that n torment and rtra, Rapoe is who she was tend to be: bold, empathetic and unavoidable. She is a master of meetg nsequential moments. She is a natural in.</p></div></div><div></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb dn db-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-sktop"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-none pt-lg pb-lg" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"><div>Advertisement</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Jt <a href=" target=_blank>months om retirement</a>, Rapoe enters her fal World Cup a supportg role. Instead of receivg major playg time and beg asked to repeat her Goln Ball heroics om the Uned Stat’ 2019 triumph France, her greatt rponsibily may be to “lead the lears,” as U.S. women’s natnal soccer team ach Vlatko Andonovski lik to say. Rapoe nnot be her own sunset; she mt relish wh others. For a player who enjoys good vib as much as srg goals, is an appropriate way for her n to end.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><div data-qa="article-vio" data-ttid="article-vio" class=""><div><figure class="mb-md mr-to-ns ml-to-ns hi-for-prt ml-neg-gutter mr-neg-gutter"><div class="w-100 aspect-ctom" style="background-posn:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-lor:rgb(245, 245, 245);background-image:url();background-size:nta;--aspect-height:0.5625;--aspect-width:1"></div><figptn><div class="mt-xs mr-to-ns ml-to-ns left font--subhead font-xxxs gray-dark ml-gutter mr-gutter" data-qa="vio-ptn">This World Cup is the last for some of the players on the USWNT, cludg Megan Rapoe. What is the legacy they'll leave on and off the field? (Vio: Joshua Carroll/The Washgton Post)</div></figptn></figure></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“I uld have never imaged where this betiful game would have taken me,” Rapoe said recently while announcg her retirement.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">She let nature play tour gui, but she kept an eye on her pass. She found a way — a better way — by tstg her standards of humany. She created a lane to be at peace while strivg for stardom as an openly gay woman who exprs herself eely on and off the field.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">At 38, Rapoe is 20 years olr than teen prodigy Alyssa Thompson, an exaggerated example of the shift occurrg on the dynastic U.S. women’s team and throughout the sports world durg a perd of nstant goodbye-wavg to legends. As Rapoe prepar to part, she necsat somethg beyond the standard salute. Wh dogged flair, she has moled a new prototype for female superstars. There is new room for women to be dac, not jt cute and mure. There is room to be unapologetilly petive and unaaid to offend.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="wpds-c-VkPmP hi-for-prt"><div></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">As <a href=" target=_blank>Angel Ree</a> and <a href=" target=_blank>Cal Clark</a> showsed durg the NCAA basketball tournament, the next generatn is flntg thenticy and range. The athlet reject rather than appease those who look at them wh a disapprovg gaze. Outsi of Serena Williams, Rapoe has been as fluential as anyone her era at creatg that space. And she is peerls among morn athlet her stama to take stands agast social jtice.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb dn db-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-sktop"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-none pt-lg pb-lg" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"><div>Advertisement</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Rapoe has given her body, cludg two ACL juri llege, to soccer. She has received env treasur: two World Cup tl, an Olympic gold medal, ternatnal fame. But she will leave behd an valuable template for self-posssn.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“As ol as you thk she’s gog to be, you meet her, and she’s even oler,” said U.S. fenr Alana Cook, who also plays wh Rapoe for NWSL club OL Reign. “They say don’t meet your hero. I thk everyone should meet Poe.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“For someone as globally renowned and as important and popular as she is, what’s special about her is she mak every sgle person feel important and feel like they have her time. She mak everyone feel like they n be themselv, and they n show up as who they tly are.”</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body grid-tablet-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div data-qa="article-image" class="hi-for-prt"><div style="m-height:358px"></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">As a young U.S. forward, Rapoe learned an endurg lson om Kriste Lilly, whose natnal team experience spanned 23 years and 354 appearanc. Lilly, a member of the revered 1999 World Cup champnship squad, overlapped wh Rapoe, her early 20s, before she retired 2010.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Back then, Rapoe was stgglg to keep up wh the veterans. She whimpered over to Lilly, who Rapoe says “uld probably still outn all of to this day.”</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“I’m sure I was not dog very well and plag about how hard was and how easy looked for her,” Rapoe said. “And she jt looked me ad the face and was like, ‘It’s hard for everyone.’ ”</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">The words stuck. Rapoe expand their meang, g them to strengthen her rolve and to be aware of people endurg hardships around her. Crics may try to dismiss her as a ntroversy addict, as if she uld possibly enjoy all the tnts and ath threats and social media graffi. But realy, she hasn’t been able to skip a fight — whether was for <a href=" target=_blank>equal pay and genr equaly</a>, <a href=" target=_blank>Black Liv Matter</a> or supportg transgenr athlet — bee the woman who lls herself “crazy ltle Megan” has crazy good tentns. If she unrstands ’s hard for everyone, then what’s her exce for beg different?</p></div><div class="article-body grid-body grid-center" data-qa="article-body"><div class="wpds-c-SEUFi wpds-c-SEUFi-iblNTCR-css"><div data-ttid="re-roel-ntaer" role="group" aria-rolescriptn="roel" class="wpds-c-jQxwKe wpds-c-jQxwKe-idyBywr-css"><a href="#end-react-aria-1" class="wpds-c-iSKIAI wpds-c-iSKIAI-iedmEYU-css">Skip to end of roel</a><div class="absolute right-0 pa-md h-100 z-1 poter-events-none" style="top:0;background-image:"></div><div class="flex-ns jtify-between ems-center" aria-hidn="te"><h6 class="wpds-c-bcjwkI">World Cup 2023</h6></div><div data-ttid="roel-ntent" data-qa="roel-ntent" class="wpds-c-cubdkx overflow-xscroll"><div data-qa="roel-em-0" data-ttid="roel-em-0" class="wpds-c-bYoKkr snap-start flex-none" style="marg-right:0px" role="group" aria-rolescriptn="sli" aria-label="1 of 1"><div class="wpds-c-iKoytf wpds-c-iKoytf-iduqwxX-css"><div class="wpds-c-iMKICq wpds-c-iMKICq-ihPoHKF-css"><div><div class="wpds-c-cXHzQF wpds-c-cXHzQF-dLfCpM-alignment-left wpds-c-cXHzQF-fGHEql-isCBCentered-false wpds-c-cXHzQF-hJqGmt-cv"><span style="box-sizg:borr-box;display:le-block;overflow:hidn;width:ial;height:ial;background:none;opacy:1;borr:0;marg:0;paddg:0;posn:relative;max-width:100%"><span style="box-sizg:borr-box;display:block;width:ial;height:ial;background:none;opacy:1;borr:0;marg:0;paddg:0;max-width:100%"><img style="display:block;max-width:100%;width:ial;height:ial;background:none;opacy:1;borr:0;marg:0;paddg:0" alt="" aria-hidn="te" src="data:image/svg+xml,></span><img addnal_properti="[object Object]" alt_text="" ptn="" ptn_display="" pyright="The Washgton Post" subtle="Women's World Cup 2023: Landg Page" type="image" url=" _id="6WR366N4VNHIVHOAR4NT6XS7FQ" aspectRat="3/2" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" dg="async" data-nimg="trsic" style="posn:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizg:borr-box;paddg:0;borr:none;marg:to;display:block;width:0;height:0;m-width:100%;max-width:100%;m-height:100%;max-height:100%;background-size:ver;background-posn:0% 0%;filter:blur(20px);background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http%3A//; xmlns%3Axlk='http%3A//; viewBox='0 0 1280 853'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' lor-terpolatn-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGssianBlur stdDeviatn='.5'%3E%3C/feGssianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA type='discrete' tableValu='1 1'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage filter='url(%23b)' x='0' y='0' height='100%25' width='100%25' xlk%3Ahref='data%3Aimage/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAkAAAAGCAIAAACepSOSAAAACXBIWXMAAC4jAAAuIwF4pT92AAAAs0lEQVQI1wGoAFf/AImSoJSer5yjs52ktp2luJuluKOpuJefsoCNowB+kKaOm66grL+krsCnsMGrt8m1u8mzt8OVoLIAhJqzjZ2tnLLLnLHJp7fNmpyjqbPCqLrRjqO7AIeUn5ultaWtt56msaSnroZyY4mBgLq7wY6TmwCRfk2Pf1uzm2WulV+xmV6rmGyQfFm3nWSBcEIAfm46jX1FkH5Djn5AmodGo49MopBLlIRBfG8yj/dfjF5TUAAAAASUVORK5CYII='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E'")"/><noscript><img addnal_properti="[object Object]" alt_text="" ptn="" ptn_display="" pyright="The Washgton Post" subtle="Women's World Cup 2023: Landg Page" type="image" url=" _id="6WR366N4VNHIVHOAR4NT6XS7FQ" aspectRat="3/2" srcSet=" 1x" src=" dg="async" data-nimg="trsic" style="posn:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizg:borr-box;paddg:0;borr:none;marg:to;display:block;width:0;height:0;m-width:100%;max-width:100%;m-height:100%;max-height:100%" loadg="lazy"/></noscript></span></div></div><div><div class="wpds-c-jIpZwk">See full verage of the <a href=" target=_blank>FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023</a>.</div></div></div></div></div></div><div id="re-roel-pagatn-arrows"></div></div><span id="end-react-aria-1" class="sr-only" data-ttid="sr-only">End of roel</span></div><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“Everybody stggl different ways,” Rapoe said. “We’re not all gog to stggle the same — on the field, off the field, emotnally, physilly, mentally.”</p><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Even when she’s makg a pot, Rapoe will pse to learn. Seven years ago, when she <a href=" target="_blank">cid to take a knee durg the natnal anthem</a> solidary wh former NFL quarterback Col Kaepernick, sparked ep nversatns wh Crystal Dunn, a Black teammate. Dunn was jt as ncerned about police btaly and racial equaly, but as a newer she didn’t thk she had enough U.S. Soccer chet to make a statement, pecially bee Rapoe’s stance had put the star at odds wh the feratn. So Dunn stood, famoly next to a kneelg Rapoe before a match. When photographers ptured the image, beme fodr for the ignorant, who poked fun at the woke Whe woman dog what a Black woman wouldn’t.</p><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Dunn felt she uldn’t, actually. When she lived the experience through Dunn, Rapoe saw the many layers of urage and privilege. Rapoe’s bold was a safer bold. It’s hard for everyone, but n be harr for others. She unrstood the signifince of beg a famo Whe athlete willg to sacrifice some of her populary.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body grid-tablet-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div data-qa="article-image" class="hi-for-prt"><div style="m-height:358px"></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“As much as meant to me, thk about what said to future players, who were kids and teenagers and are here now,” Dunn said.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Said Cook, a 26-year-old participatg her first World Cup: “I thk she’s someone who will ri as hard for a e that affects her as one that don’t, which is really special. It’s what mak her such a good lear. It’s what mak her such a good human, to be empathetic and see the humany others and fight for . I thk ’s always worth takg the venom, takg the phback when you know that you’re on the right si, when you know that you’re fightg for people who need .</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><div id="gift-share-le" data-ttid="gift-share-le" class="PJLV PJLV-ilotWTr-css hi-for-prt"><button aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-expand="false" aria-ntrols="gift-share-drawer" role="button" tabx="0" aria-label="Share this article" id="gift-share-drawer-ntrol-le" data-ttid="gift-share-drawer-ntrol-le" class="wpds-c-PJLV wpds-c-gsmDXe wpds-c-gsmDXe-goNocI-placement-Inle foc-highlight"><div data-ttid="gift-share-terstial-trigger" class="wpds-c-kPqOkS wpds-c-kPqOkS-jtSXsT-hasSubsText-false"><span class="wpds-c-hBJqc"><span class="wpds-c-dzSncg">Share this article</span></span><span class="wpds-c-eCvK"><span class="wpds-c-enedHQ wpds-c-enedHQ-cCdK-isShown-false">Share</span><svg xmlns=" fill="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 16 16" aria-hidn="te" focable="false" role="img" class="wpds-c-fBqPWp wpds-c-fDHGth"><path fill="currentColor" d="M8 .6v3.8h.1c-4.4 0-7.3 4.5-6.9 8.8.1.8.2 1.2.2 1.2l.2 1 .4-1.3c.8-2 2-4 6.2-3.9H8v4l7-6.9L8 .6Zm1 11.3V9.3h-.9c-3 0-4.8.5-6.2 2.9.5-3.3 2.7-6.8 6.2-6.8H9V3l4.5 4.4L9 11.9Z"></path></svg></span></div></button></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“And when you’re 38 and your playg days are almost over, I mean, how do you hope people talk about you?”</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body grid-tablet-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div data-qa="article-image" class="hi-for-prt"><div style="m-height:358px"></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Rapoe will retire October, but she don’t plan to disappear. She certaly won’t be silent. As an athlete, she has ed creativy, panache and a knack for big-stage excellence to boost her legend. Those tras fuel her disptive powers, and they are jt as potent whout cleats.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">In her soccer afterlife, the dissint aspir to be a different kd of thory figure. She wants to tap to her entreprenrial stcts, and she wants to do for eedom, not greed. After years spent challengg systems, she wants to build new on.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“Megan has been workg toward steppg off the pch for about three years now,” said Jsi Clarendon, the chief operatg officer of Rapoe Ventur whose relatnship wh the player dat om their days playg high school basketball agast each other California. “She saw that she uld build a bs around who she is. Her retirement is tentnal. She wants to create a blueprt for what a post-reer n look like for female athlet now.”</p></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb dn db-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-sktop"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-none pt-lg pb-lg" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"><div>Advertisement</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Rapoe has a Nike signature clothg le. She started the productn pany A Touch More wh her fiancée, basketball legend Sue Bird, to produce scripted and unscripted ntent focg on stori of activism and inty and people om unrreprented muni. They hope to center revolutnary figur and e storytellg to embed social progrs to culture.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">The loquac Rapoe has a pet phrase: “Wele to the future.” She says often when sharg her visn to leverage her fame to create clive bs.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“She wants to build thgs that n sta outsi of her star power,” Clarendon said. “That will allow other people to be succsful. She’s terted ownership to be a gatekeeper dtri that are largely gate-kept by men who are Whe. She wants to show what succsful bs n look like whout leavg people behd.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“She is, some ways, a morn-day prophet. She se the world what’s not yet seen. She wants to make this world her md and her imagatn to a realy.”</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body grid-tablet-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div data-qa="article-image" class="hi-for-prt"><div style="m-height:358px"></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">In June, <a href=" target=_blank>the Seattle Storm retired Bird’s No. 10 jersey</a> durg a postgame ceremony that lasted nearly three hours. Rapoe and rapper Macklemore, a Seattle native, emceed the event. More than 2½ hours to the epic event, Bird tried to articulate what Rapoe meant to her.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“You’ve changed me,” Bird told her that day. “You’ve changed my life. You’ve changed how I see thgs. You brought out of me. It was there. I jt didn’t know how to get to . And you saw right away.”</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">The Rapoe effect don’t jt spire dacy. There’s a peace about her, even amid chaos, that attracts people. And when they get close to her, the nnectn is upliftg. Wh Rapoe, Bird intified her nature. She disvered her urse. And she followed wh pri.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“It’s more of jt a lm my experience,” Bird said. “It feels jt way better when people know who you are, what you stand for, what you’re about. It seems like a simple thg, but so much blocks you om beg you. It’s not that way anymore.”</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="wpds-c-VkPmP hi-for-prt"><div></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">On their own, Rapoe and Bird ma an lible impact. But their six years as a uple, they have been nscent change agents. Although Rapoe accentuat dividualy wh her lorful hairstyl and brash celebratns, she functns bt wh a team. In this inic pairg wh Bird, Rapoe sh when need.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“She has an unwaverg abily to rise to any ocsn,” said Dan Levy, her longtime agent and a vice print at Wasserman. “It’s extraordary. I’ve worked wh some of the most credible people — Hall of Famers, legends, the bt who have ever done — but Megan is the only one wh <a href=" target=_blank>a Printial Medal of Freedom</a>. That’s different. She’s jt different all the right ways.”</p></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb dn db-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-sktop"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-none pt-lg pb-lg" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"><div>Advertisement</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Bird mt help Rapoe say goodbye now. Before the ESPYs, Bird joked Rapoe had “retirement FOMO” (fear of missg out) om watchg the pot guard move on wh grace. Soon, will be Rapoe’s time. She jt needs to help the U.S. team bridge s past and future.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“It’s a show-up-and-show-out kd of vibe,” Rapoe said of this World Cup.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">The battl of 2019 have already been won. U.S. Soccer fally has equal pay. Donald Tmp, whom Rapoe still jabs when reporters ask about him, has too many prsg legal matters to unterpunch effectively wh the soccer star. Rapoe may not have an enemy to target this time. Opponents will have to do.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">In the first 32-team field women’s World Cup history, the players will be able to see the game’s growth. It is a worthy send-off for a fighter such as Rapoe.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body grid-tablet-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div data-qa="article-image" class="hi-for-prt"><div style="m-height:358px"></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“I don’t want to be fightg the way that we are,” she said. “It shouldn’t be necsary, but so many ways, is. I thk what I see as the goal for is not the parison or an arrival pot bee that’s jt a nstant parison to men’s sports and that goal post will jt always be moved. But I thk for , ’s unrstandg that nothg ever stays the same, and you have to be nstant motn and nstant progrs. As soon as we know one thg, we have more knowledge for somethg else and then an opportuny to ntue to be better, to brg more people , to make more space for people to be their full selv.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“So I thk that’s somethg that’s so unique and powerful about women’s sports and jt the landspe around women’s sports. What’s happeng on the field is always jt as important as what’s happeng off. I thk we have shown that we have the power to change the world so many ways. I thk as we’ve seen the world change around , the more that we e our voice and create space for ourselv, we’re always creatg space for other people also.”</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Rapoe, a 5-foot-7 giant, is the queen of creatg space. Her nature. Her urse. She’s still nng, hard and ee. When she stops and looks behd her, she will be moved by all the magic young women dog the same.</p></div><div class="wpds-c-dhzjXW wpds-c-dhzjXW-iPJLV-css mt-md grid-center grid-body"><div id="gift-share-end" data-ttid="gift-share-end" class="PJLV PJLV-idiqKOk-css hi-for-prt"><button aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-expand="false" aria-ntrols="gift-share-drawer" role="button" tabx="0" aria-label="Share this article" id="gift-share-drawer-ntrol-end" data-ttid="gift-share-drawer-ntrol-end" class="wpds-c-PJLV wpds-c-gsmDXe wpds-c-gsmDXe-iIVoLq-placement-Shortcut foc-highlight"><div class="wpds-c-UazGY" id="gift-share-shortcut" data-ttid="gift-share-shortcut"><svg xmlns=" fill="var(--wpds-lors-primary)" viewBox="0 0 16 16" aria-hidn="te" focable="false" role="img" class="wpds-c-fVfumU "><path fill="currentColor" d="M8 .6v3.8h.1c-4.4 0-7.3 4.5-6.9 8.8.1.8.2 1.2.2 1.2l.2 1 .4-1.3c.8-2 2-4 6.2-3.9H8v4l7-6.9L8 .6Zm1 11.3V9.3h-.9c-3 0-4.8.5-6.2 2.9.5-3.3 2.7-6.8 6.2-6.8H9V3l4.5 4.4L9 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Uned, Taxi Fountas termate ntract after send racial abe probe</span></div></div><div class="wpds-c-bZNrxE"><div data-ttid="text-rd-timtamp-earlier" class="wpds-c-iKQyrV wpds-c-gWbYHj">Augt 10, 2023</div></div></a></span></li><li class="wpds-c-hzLuJf wpds-c-hzLuJf-ibYjAXf-css"><span class="wpds-c-boVztI"><a href=" class="wpds-c-hJmLeM remove-borr-bottom"><div style="width:66%;marg:0" class="wpds-c-fixGjY"><div class="wpds-c-eQfTfP"><div href=" alt="A new EPL season begs for Tim Ream, an Amerin ‘grandpa’ London lk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" data-qa="text-rd-lk" style="display:-webk-box;-webk-box-orient:vertil;-webk-le-clamp:4;text-overflow:ellipsis;transn:none" attribut="[object Object]" class=""><span>A new EPL season begs for Tim Ream, an Amerin ‘grandpa’ London</span></div></div><div class="wpds-c-bZNrxE"><div data-ttid="text-rd-timtamp-earlier" class="wpds-c-iKQyrV wpds-c-gWbYHj">Augt 10, 2023</div></div></div><div class="wpds-c-fvnsYS"><figure data-qa="sc-figure-image" class="relative wpds-c-kFsrtG"><div data-qa="sc-skeleton-image" class="font-0 aspect-ctom bg-gray-lighter filter transn" style="opacy:1;transn:opacy 400ms ease--out 0s;--aspect-width:3;--aspect-height:2"></div></figure></div></a></span><span class="wpds-c-CEJsw"><a href=" class="wpds-c-gfGApI remove-borr-bottom"><figure data-qa="sc-figure-image" class="relative wpds-c-kFsrtG"><div data-qa="sc-skeleton-image" class="font-0 aspect-ctom bg-gray-lighter filter transn" style="opacy:1;transn:opacy 400ms ease--out 0s;--aspect-width:3;--aspect-height:2"></div></figure><div class="wpds-c-eQfTfP"><div href=" alt="A new EPL season begs for Tim Ream, an Amerin ‘grandpa’ London lk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" data-qa="text-rd-lk" style="display:-webk-box;-webk-box-orient:vertil;-webk-le-clamp:4;text-overflow:ellipsis;transn:none" attribut="[object Object]" class=""><span>A new EPL season begs for Tim Ream, an Amerin ‘grandpa’ London</span></div></div><div class="wpds-c-bZNrxE"><div data-ttid="text-rd-timtamp-earlier" class="wpds-c-iKQyrV wpds-c-gWbYHj">Augt 10, 2023</div></div></a></span></li></ul></div><button class="wpds-c-kSOqLF wpds-c-kSOqLF-SQjOY-variant-sendary wpds-c-kSOqLF-eHdizY-nsy-flt wpds-c-kSOqLF-hGNJMA-in-center wpds-c-kSOqLF-qcJLL-cv wpds-c-kSOqLF-ieqAhsM-css">View 3 more stori<svg xmlns=" viewBox="0 0 16 16" fill="currentColor" aria-hidn="te" focable="false" role="img" class="wpds-c-dJBvpf wpds-c-gmtmov"><path d="m3.38 6 .71-.71L8 9.25l3.91-3.92.71.71L8 10.67Z"></path></svg></button></div></div></div><div class="grid-center grid-body"><div></div></div></article><div class="centered-layout grid-layout"><div class="grid-center grid-mobile-full-bleed"><div class="hi-for-prt ml-to mr-to mt-md pt-lg recirc" data-qa="recirc"><div class="flex-l jtify-center hi-for-prt"><div class="pr-sm ml-sm ml-0-ns b-l br-l bc-gray-darkt more-om-post"><div></div><div class="dn db-l pb-md pt-md"><div data-qa="newsletter" class="hi-for-prt relative"><div class="dib w-100"><div><div class="flex jtify-center align self-center center transn-all duratn-400 ease--out" data-qa="sc-newsletter-signup" aria-label=""><svg aria-labelledby="react-aria-2-aria" role="img" viewBox="0 0 100 80"><tle id="react-aria-2-aria">Loadg...

gay equality tattoos

In a time when was illegal to be out and proud Wtern culture, many LGBTI people got tattoos to nvey secret msag or as an act of fiance to thory. Acrdg to famo gay tattooist…

Contents:

THE SECRET GAY HISTORY OF TATTOOS AND THEIR HIDN MEANGSJAM BANVALLE·FOLLOW11 M READ·AUG 25, 2018--LISTENSHAREDID YOU KNOW RSIAN CRIMALS THE 1950S HAD A SECRET TATTOO TO INTIFY GAY PEOPLE?THE LGBTI MUNY HAS A LONG AND VARIED HISTORY WH TATTOOS.IN A TIME WHEN WAS ILLEGAL TO BE OUT AND PROUD WTERN CULTURE, MANY LGBTI PEOPLE GOT TATTOOS TO NVEY SECRET MSAG OR AS AN ACT OF FIANCE TO THORY.THE DAYS, TATTOOS AND LGBTI CULTURE GO HAND HAND AND ’S A TREND THAT’S ON THE RISE.BUT WHERE DID ALL BEG AND WHAT DO THE HIDN MEANGS SIGNIFY?‘BAD BOYS AND TOUGH TATTOOS’ACRDG TO FAMO GAY TATTOOIST SAMUEL STEWARD (ALSO KNOWN AS PHIL SPARROW), THE GAY MUNY PARTICULAR REALLY BEGAN EMBRACG TATTOOS THE 1950S.STEWARD WAS BORN 1909 AND LED MANY VARIED ROL LIFE, CLUDG A PROFSOR AT A ROMAN CATHOLIC UNIVERSY AND AN THOR OF GAY PULP FICTN.HE WAS ALSO THE OFFICIAL TATTOO ARTIST FOR THE MOTORCYCLE CLUB, THE HELLS ANGELS OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.STEWARD PUBLISHED HIS THOUGHTS ON GAY MEN GETTG TATTOOS HIS 1990 BOOK BAD BOYS & TOUGH TATTOOS: A SOCIAL HISTORY OF THE TATTOO WH GANGS, SAILORS, AND STREET-CORNER PUNKS.STEWARD SAID: ‘ONE CHANGE, HOWEVER, ME ABOUT THE HOMOSEXUAL ATTU TOWARDS TATTOOS AROUND 1954.’HE NTUED: ‘FOLLOWG THE NATNAL RELEASE OF THE MOVIE THE WILD ONE WH MARLON BRANDO; THE ORIGAL MOTORCYCLE FILM, SEEMED TO CRYSTALLIZE OR RELEASE, THE OBSCURE AND LONG-HIDN FEELGS OF MANY HOMOSEXUALS.’STEWARD BELIEV TATTOOS BEME A SYMBOL OF MASCULY FOR GAY MEN, CLOSELY TIED WH THE GAY LEATHER MUNY.HE SAID: ‘I WAS OVERWHELMED BY THE SUDN APPEARANCE OF SO MANY OF THE FIGUR… AS THE IMPULSE OF MANY HOMOSEXUALS TO BE NSIRED MORE MASCULE — BY THE ADDN OF A TATTOO — GREW STRONGER.’THERE ARE ALSO EXAMPL OF LBIANS THE 1940S AND 50S LERALLY WEARG THEIR SEXUALY ON THEIR SLEEVE BY GETTG A PARTICULAR TATTOO (BUT MORE ON THAT LATER).HERE ARE THE MOST MON LGBTI-SPIRED TATTOOS AND WHAT MEANS TO THE PEOPLE WHO GOT THEM.NOTE: IF SOMEONE HAS ONE OF THE TATTOOS, DO NOT MEAN THEY TOMATILLY INTIFY WH THE EXPLANATNS BELOW1. PK TRIANGLE TATTOOIN NAZI GERMANY THE MID-1940S, GAY PRISONERS NCENTRATN MPS WERE FORCED TO WEARG PK TRIANGL AS A BADGE OF SHAME.IN FACT, ONE SCHOLAR SAYS THE GAY PRISONERS WERE THE ‘LOWT OF THE LOW’ THE HIERARCHY OF THE NCENTRATN MPS.NAZIS TORTURED THE GAY PRISONERS BY STRATG SOME OF THEM AND SODOMIZG THEM WH EMS LIKE BROOMSTICKS. THEY ALSO PERFORMED DANGERO EXPERIMENTS ON THEM TO FD CUR FOR TYPH FEVER AND HOMOSEXUALY.ACRDG TO TIMATNS, BETWEEN 5,000 AND 15,000 GAY PEOPLE DIED GERMAN NCENTRATN MPS.WHEN EYE WNS ACUNTS AND PERSONAL TTIMONI EMERGED SEVERAL S LATER, LGBTI ACTIVISTS BEGAN RECLAIMG THE SYMBOL.THE EARLIT ACUNTS AMERI DATE BACK TO 1977, WHERE LGBTI ACTIVISTS MIAMI PNED PK TRIANGL TO THEIR CLOTH TO PROTT HOG DISCRIMATN.IN THE EARLY 80S, ANIZATN ACT-UP ED THE PK TRIANGLE TO TRY TO RAISE AWARENS THE MIDST OF THE AIDS CRISIS.INSTEAD OF G THE UPSI DOWN TRIANGLE — AS THE NAZIS DID — ACTIVIST AVRAM FKELSTE ME UP WH G THE RIGHT WAY UP.THE ANIZATN ED ARGUABLY S MOST FAMO MPAIGN POSTER: SILENCE = DEATH.SCE THEN, ACTIVISTS HAVE ED THE SYMBOL VAR MPAIGNS SCE, CLUDG PROTTS LAST YEAR OVER NCENTRATN MPS CHECHNYA.THE SYMBOL WENT OM BEG A BADGE OF SHAME, TO A SYMBOL OF PRI.HOW LGBTI PEOPLE RECLAIMED THE PK TRIANGLEMANY LGBTI PEOPLE NOW PROUDLY SHOW OFF THEIR TATTOO PK TRIANGL.‘I GOT AFTER THE PULSE NIGHTCLUB SHOOTG FLORIDA,’ NICK MCGLYNN TOLD GAY STAR NEWS. ‘AT THE TIME, REALLY BROUGHT HOME THE PHYSIL VLENCE THAT’S STILL DIRECTED AT QUEER PEOPLE.‘I WAS ANGRY AND I WANTED TO HAVE MY QUEERNS PERMANENTLY WRTEN ON MY BODY AS A “FUCK YOU” TO THE FEAR OF BEG VISIBLY QUEER PUBLIC,’ HE SAID.MCGLYNN IS A TEACHER AND SAYS HIS PK TRIANGLE TATTOO ISN’T AS OBVLY GAY AS A RABOW FLAG, SO HIS STUNTS OFTEN ASK HIM ABOUT .‘IT GIV ME AN OPPORTUNY TO SAY OUT LOUD PUBLIC THAT I’M A GAY MAN,’ HE SAID.GREG BAILLIE GOT HIS PK TRIANGLE TATTOO ON HIS WRIST SO HE N HI UNR HIS WATCH IF HE EVER FEELS UNSAFE.HE SAID: ‘I GOT TO FEEL LIKE PART OF A MUNY WHILST REMEMBERG THE HORROR THAT HAD BEFTED SOME THAT HAD WENT BEFORE.JEFF INGOLD WANTED TO MAKE HIS TRIANGLE TATTOO SPECIAL SO HE GOT A TRIANGLE OUTLE, WH THE DATE HE ME OUT THE MIDDLE.HE SAID: ‘I GOT THIS TATTOO TO REMEMBER ALL THOSE WHO ME BEFORE ME, WHO FOUGHT AND DIED FOR OUR RIGHTS AND ALSO, TO PLACE MYSELF THAT HISTORY.’INGOLD NTUED: ‘ALONG WH THAT, MY DAD ONCE TOLD ME HE WISHED I DIDN’T WEAR MY SEXUALY ON MY SLEEVE SO MUCH.’SO HE GOT ON HIS ARM FIANCE.‘THIS IS WHO I AM, THIS IS MY HISTORY AND I WON’T BE ASHAMED OF SHOWG OFF,’ HE ADD.BISEXUAL PEOPLE ALSO HAVE A VERSN OF THE PK TRIANGLE WH A BLUE TRIANGLE LKED.2. NTIL STAR TATTOOIN THE LATE 1940S AND 50S, SOME LBIANS GOT A NTIL STAR TATTOOED ON THEIR WRIST AS A SIGNAL TO OTHER LBIANS.MALE D. DAVIS AND ELIZABETH LAPOVSKY KENNEDY’S 1993 BOOK BOOTS OF LEATHER, SLIPPERS OF GOLD: THE HISTORY OF A LBIAN COMMUNY EXPLAS THE PHENOMENON.THEY EXPLAED: ‘THE CULTURAL PH TO BE INTIFIED AS LBIANS — OR AT LEAST DIFFERENT — ALL THE TIME WAS SO POWERFUL THAT GENERATED A NEW FORM OF INTIFITN AMONG THE TOUGH BAR LBIANS: A STAR TATTOO ON THE TOP OF THE WRIST, WHICH WAS UALLY VERED BY A WATCH.‘THIS WAS THE FIRST SYMBOL OF MUNY INTY THAT DID NOT RELY ON BUTCH-FEM IMAGERY,’ THEY WROTE.KENNEDY AND DAVIS ALSO SAID THE LOL POLICE BUFFALO, NEW YORK KNEW ABOUT THE PRACTISE, SO WAS VERY RISKY.POLICE HAD A LIST OF NAM OF KNOWN LBIANS. FOR THIS REASON, THE TATTOO WAS ALWAYS ON THE WRIST WHERE ULD HI BEHD A WRISTWATCH.THE NTIL STAR IS NOW HUGELY POPULAR AMONG LGBTI PEOPLE, CLUDG A LOT OF GAY PORN STARS.AS WELL AS BEG A MON TATTOO FOR SAILORS ( SYMBOLIZ SAILORS TRYG TO FD THEIR WAY HOME), THE NTIL STAR ALSO POTS TO PROSTUTN SOME CIRCL.3. SRPN/BHAZARD TATTOOIN 2011, CNN PUBLISHED A PIECE OM A GAY MAN WHO IS HIV+.IN THE PIECE, MICHAEL LEE HOWARD SAYS HE GOT THE BHAZARD SYMBOL ON HIS RIGHT ARM AND THE RADIATN SYMBOL ON HIS LEFT TO DITE THAT HE’S LIVG WH HIV.AFTER HIS DIAGNOSIS 2005, HOWARD SAID HE GOT THE TATTOOS TO HELP HIM ON HIS JOURNEY OF SELF-ACCEPTANCE.HE SAID: ‘IT’S A BRANDG OF WHO I AM, AND ’S A BRANDG OF BEG FORTABLE WH THAT, BEG FORTABLE WH WHO I AM.’ANOTHER TATTOO LISTED THE ARTICLE AS A SIGNIFIER FOR SOMEONE LIVG WH HIV IS THE SRPN. THIS ONE IS MORE TRICKY BEE THE SRPN TATTOO IS ALSO CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WH ASTROLOGY.GAY MAN WILLIAM CONLEY SAID HE ALSO KNOWS 45–60 OTHERS WHO GOT THE BHAZARD AND SRPN SYMBOLS TATTOOED ON THEIR BODY.IN RPONSE TO THE ARTICLE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF GMFA MATTHEW HODSON WARNED WAS ONLY A SMALL MORY OF GAY MEN GETTG THE TATTOOS.HE SAID: ‘THE PROBLEM WH ANY D REFERENCE TO HIV STAT IS THAT MAY NOT BE UNIVERSALLY UNRSTOOD, SO EVEN IF YOU HAVE A GREAT BIG B-HAZARD TATTOO ACROSS YOUR BUTT-CHEEKS, DON’T NECSARILY MEAN THAT EVERYONE YOU HAVE SEX WH IS GOG TO UNRSTAND WHAT MEANS.‘MOST PEOPLE WH HIV DON’T TELL ALL OF THEIR SEXUAL PARTNERS.‘AND ALTHOUGH SOME GAY MEN CHOOSE TO K THEIR STAT, FIERCE AND UNAPOLOGETIC, ON THEIR SK, THE MAJORY OF DON’T,’ HE SAID.4. ARM BAND TATTOOWHILE SOME PEOPLE MIGHT JT LIKE THE LOOK OF ARM BAND TATTOOS, OTHERS GET THEM TO LET THE WORLD KNOW THEY ENJOY ANAL FISTG.ALEXIS GARCIA TOLD GAY STAR NEWS HE GOT HIS DOUBLE ARM BAND TATTOO ‘TO STAND FOR EQUALY’.HE HAD NO IA ABOUT THE DOUBLE MEANG BEHD THE TATTOO BUT SAID: ‘IT’S IMPORTANT TO ME AS MEANS EQUALY.’KIERAN EVANS SAID HE ALSO DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE DOUBLE MEANG UNTIL AFTER HE GOT DONE. HE HAS MULTIPLE BANDS ON HIS ARM TO REPRENT A MEMBER OF HIS FAY.HE SAID: ‘WHEN I WALK TO A ROOM OF GAYS WEARG A SHORT SLEEVED SHIRT, ONE OF TWO THGS GO THROUGH MY HEAD; I’M EHER LOOKG CUTE AS HELL OR THEY THK I LIKE TO GET MY HANDS DIRTY.’HE’S ACTUALLY HAD GAY MEN ASK HIM ABOUT THE DOUBLE MEANG BEFORE.EVANS SAID: ‘THIS ONE TIME AT A HOOKUP, THE GUY ASKED IF I DID PORN. A FEW YEARS LATER, I THEN REALISED WHY HE ASKED BEE A LOT OF PORN STARTS HAVE BAND TATTOOS AS WELL.’SOME PEOPLE MIGHT ALSO GET THIS TATTOO TO SYMBOLIZE THE EQUALS SIGN.5. EY TATTOORSIAN CRIMAL TATTOOS HAVE A LONG LIST OF HIDN MEANGS.IN SOVIET UNN PRISONS, THERE WAS A STRONG CULTURE OF TATTOOS BEG ED TO DITE A PERSON’S CRIMAL REER AND RANK. IT DIFFERENTIATED WHO WERE CRIMAL EL AND WHO WERE POLIL PRISONERS.THE PRACTICE STARTED AROUND 1930, GREW TO PROMENCE THE 50S AND DIED DOWN BY THE 80S.SOME PROMENT SYMBOLS CLU STAR TATTOOS (DITG THORY), SKULL (DITG MURR), CROSS (A TRADNAL ‘THIEV CROSS’) AND BELLS (DITG A LONG SENTENCE WH NO CHANCE OF EARLY RELEASE).BUT THERE ARE SOME GAY SYMBOLS TOO, LIKE THE EY TATTOO. WHEN TATTOOED ON THE LOWER STOMACH, MEANS THE PERSON IS GAY. THE PENIS SYMBOLIZ A NOSE, WH THE TWO EY ABOVE WATCHG.MOST OF THE TATTOOS SYMBOLIZG BEG GAY WERE FORCED ONTO PEOPLE AS A WAY TO SHAME THEM.FOR EXAMPLE, A SNAKE ENTWED WH A WOMAN DIT A ‘PASSIVE HOMOSEXUAL’ — PECIALLY TATTOOED ON THE BACK.BETY MARKS BENEATH THE EY ALSO DITE A ‘PASSIVE HOMOSEXUAL’, AS WELL AS RED SUS RDS (DIAMONDS OR HEARTS) ON A PRISONER’S BACK.6. EQUALS SIGN TATTOOTHIS ONE’S FAIRLY SELF-EXPLANATORY BUT ’S WORTH MENTNG.THE RED EQUALS SIGN ROSE TO PROMENCE 2013 WHEN THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN ED TO URGE PEOPLE TO SUPPORT MARRIAGE EQUALY THE UNED STAT.A SEA OF THE EQUALS SIGNS FLOOD SOCIAL MEDIA AND EFFECTIVELY GOT THE NVERSATN FLOWG ABOUT LGBTI RIGHTS.AS A RULT, MANY PEOPLE GOT LTLE PARALLEL LE TATTOOS ON THEIR BODY TO SYMBOLIZE EQUALY.SARAH EBA TOLD GAY STAR NEWS: ‘I GOT TWO YEARS AGO RIGHT AFTER I ME OUT TO MY GRANDMA AND SHE DIDN’T APPROVE BEE SHE DIDN’T THK EQUALY FOR GAYS SHOULD BE THE SAME FOR STRAIGHT PEOPLE.‘IT PISSED ME OFF SO I GOT THE TATTOO AND SHOWED HER. BUT NOW I LOVE AND REMDS ME OF WHO I AM EVERY TIME I SEE ,’ SHE SAID.JAM BAKER SAID HE GOT HIS EQUALS SIGN TATTOO A FEW YEARS BACK, BUT WANTED THE UPSI TRIANGLE TOO.HE EXPLAED: ‘I’M NOT SOMEONE WHO YOU WOULD STANTLY REGNISE AS LGBTI.‘GOG THROUGH UNIVERSY AND NOW PLAYG FOR A GAY FOOTBALL TEAM LONDON, I WANTED TO SHOW THAT I WAS PROUD AFTER NOT BEG NFINT WHEN I WAS YOUNGER,’ HE SAID.DURG THE 1960S, LBIAN FEMISTS ADOPTED THE LABRYS TATTOO AS A SYMBOL OF STRENGTH AND PENNCE.THE LABRYS, OR DOUBLE-BLAD BATTLE AXE, IS ASSOCIATED WH ANCIENT MATRIARCHAL SOCIETI, THE AMAZONS AND THE GREEK GODSS DEMETER.IN THE MOAN CIVILIZATN (LASTG OM AROUND 3,000 TO 1,100 BCE), THE SOCIETY AT THE TIME WAS PREDOMATELY MATRIARCHAL.THEIR RELIGN CENTERED AROUND A BARE-BREASTED GREAT GODSS WHO IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN A PROTECTOR OF WOMEN.THIS GODSS IS OFTEN PORTRAYED AS HOLDG SNAK HER HANDS — A SYMBOL OF FERTILY AND AGRICULTURE — AND SURROUND BY FEMALE WORSHIPPERS WH DOUBLE AX.IT REPRENTS A SYMBOL OF POWER.THE SYMBOL SOMETIM APPEARS AGAST A VLET BACKGROUND (A MONLY ACKNOWLEDGED SAPPHIC LOR) AND AN UPSI DOWN TRIANGLE.IN KYRGYZSTAN, THERE’S EVEN AN LGBTI RIGHTS ANIZATN LLED LABRYS.UNFORTUNATELY SOME TRANS-EXCLNARY RADIL FEMISTS (TERFS) HAVE -OPTED THE SYMBOL RECENT YEARS.8. LAMBDA TATTOOLAMBDA IS THE 11TH LETTER OF THE GREEK ALPHABET.THE GAY ACTIVIST ALLIANCE SELECTED THE SYMBOL TO REPRENT THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT 1970. THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT TERPRETATNS OF THE SYMBOL, CLUDG STANDG FOR ‘LIBERATN’. IT’S ALSO THE PHYSICS SYMBOL FOR ENERGY.ALAN MEGGS GOT HIS LAMBDA TATTOO THE EARLY 90S AT FRH ST TATTOOS LONDON.HE GOT BEE HE WANTED ‘SOMETHG LS EASILY REGNIZABLE THAN THE PK TRIANGLE SO PEOPLE WOULD HAVE TO ASK ME ABOUT .’MEGGS TOLD GAY STAR NEWS: ‘IT FEELS MORE POLIL — LS MASTREAM. MY OWN LTLE ACT OF REBELLN.‘IT REMDS ME OF OUR PAST AND THE BATTL THAT HAVE BEEN WON TO BE ACCEPTED TO MASTREAM SOCIETY. AND REMDS ME WE STILL HAVE A FAIR WAY TO GO.‘WE SHOULD NTUE TO WALK THE FOOTPRTS OF THE PEOPLE WHO FOUGHT THE LAWS AND PREJUDIC OF THE LATE 60S AND EARLY 70S AND NO BE PLACENT. IT’S PART OF MY GAY HISTORY,’ HE SAID.9. CIRCLE TATTOOSOME TERSEX PEOPLE MAY PROUDLY GET A CIRCLE TATTOO.ORGANISATN INTERSEX INTERNATNAL (OII) ATRALIA CREATED THE TERSEX PRI FLAG 2013. THE YELLOW BACKGROUND AND PURPLE CIRCLE REPRENT ‘HERMAPHRODE’ LORS.ACRDG TO THE WEBSE: ‘THE CIRCLE IS UNBROKEN AND UNORNAMENTED, SYMBOLIZG WHOLENS AND PLETENS.‘WE ARE STILL FIGHTG FOR BODILY TONOMY AND GENAL TEGRY, AND THIS SYMBOLIZ THE RIGHT TO BE WHO AND HOW WE WANT TO BE,’ THE WEBSE STAT.10. WHATEVER YOU WANT TO BE!LGBTI PEOPLE N GET A MYRIAD OF TATTOOS THAT REPRENT THEIR GENR INTY OR SEXUALY.JAM STANNAH SAID HE WANTED SOMETHG SUPER GAY SO HE GOT TWO TOM OF FLAND-SPIRED MEN KISSG.HE SAID: ‘I WANTED SOMETHG THAT WAS ACTUALLY SO OBVLY GAY AND A LTLE SHOCKG TO LOOK AT.‘[IT] IS SUCH AN OPEN DISPLAY OF SENTIALLY HOW PROUD I AM THAT I’M GAY.‘IT’S ALSO A B OF A FUCK YOU. I BASILLY AM NOW RTRICTED OM TAKG MY TOP OFF QUE A FEW UNTRI WORLDWI FOR FEAR OF ARRT. BUT ’S ALSO A B OF A MIDDLE FGER TO ALL OF THAT AS WELL,’ HE SAID.CANDICE ARMAH INTIFI AS NON-BARY AND SAW A TATTOO BY ARTIST JULIM ROSA ON SOCIAL MEDIA WH THE WORD ‘GENR’ A DISTORTED SIGN.ARMAH EXPLAED: ‘WARPED AND WAVY WORDS SEEMED TO F HOW I FELT AND STILL FEEL ABOUT THE GENR BARY. I WANTED MY OWN VERSN TO KEEP WH ME SO ASKED HER TO DRAW SOME MOCK-UPS.‘I LOVED THE RULT,’ THEY ADD.ALEXAVIER TAIGA WANTED SOMETHG SPECIAL AS A NOD TO HIS TRANS INTY. SO HE GOT A QUOTE OM CHRIS COLFER’S BOOK STCK BY LIGHTG.THE BOOK IS ABOUT A GUY WHO WANTS TO LEAVE HIS NSERVATIVE TOWN.TAIGA SAID: ‘I LOVE THE QUOTE BEE I E OM A NSERVATIVE SMALL TOWN. BUT HAS EXTRA MEANG FOR ME BEE I’M A TRANS GUY.‘I GOT THE TATTOO BEFORE G OUT TO ANYONE,’ HE SAID.HE’S CURRENTLY 12 MONTHS ON TTOSTERONE AND HE’LL GET THE OTHER HALF OF THE QUOTE AFTER HIS TOP SURGERY SOON.THE SEND HALF OF THE QUOTE IS ‘ONCE THERE WAS A BOY WHO FLEW’.ERIK LULILIAN WANTED TO FEATURE TRIANGL AND A BIRD TO SYMBOLIZE ‘EEDOM’ AND AS AN HOMAGE TO HIS QUEER INTY.HE SAID: ‘I THK TATTOOS THEIR OWN RIGHT ARE A KD OF RECLAMATN OF OUR BODI.‘SO MANY QUEER PEOPLE GREW UP HOEHOLDS [THAT] SENT MSAG THAT OUR BODI ARE NOT OUR OWN. IT TAK A LOT OF NER WORK TO UNDO THAT MDSET.‘MY TATTOOS, THAT WAY, ARE AN OUTWARD EXPRSN AND CELEBRATN OF MY LIBERATN,’ HE SAID.SEE ALSO

* gay equality tattoos *

Did you know Rsian crimals the 1950s had a secret tattoo to intify gay people? ‘Bad Boys and Tough Tattoos’Acrdg to famo gay tattooist Samuel Steward (also known as Phil Sparrow), the gay muny particular really began embracg tattoos the 1950s. Steward was born 1909 and led many varied rol life, cludg a profsor at a Roman Catholic universy and an thor of gay pulp was also the official tattoo artist for the motorcycle club, the Hells Angels Oakland, California.

'WE'RE NOT HIDG': GAY AND LBIAN RSIANS SAY A CULTURAL SHIFT IS UNRWAY

The pretty Pri tattoos reprent the ntued fight for LGBTQ+ rights. From ty tattoos to larger piec, the gay tattoo ias are all works of art * gay equality tattoos *

Steward published his thoughts on gay men gettg tattoos his 1990 book Bad Boys & Tough Tattoos: A Social History of the Tattoo wh Gangs, Sailors, and Street-Corner Punks.

SUNAK APOLOGIZ FOR HISTORIC TREATMENT OF UK GAY VETERANS

Prime Mister Rishi Sunak apologized for the UK’s historic treatment of gay veterans followg a damng report tailg electric shock nversn therapy, sexual asslts and blackmail suffered by personnel over s. * gay equality tattoos *

Steward said: ‘One change, however, me about the homosexual attu towards tattoos around 1954. ’He ntued: ‘Followg the natnal release of the movie The Wild One wh Marlon Brando; the origal motorcycle film, seemed to crystallize or release, the obscure and long-hidn feelgs of many homosexuals.

20 SHEETS RABOW TEMPORARY TATTOOS STICKER GAY PRI TATTOOS LGBT WATERPROOF RABOW FLAG HEART TEMPORARY TATTOOS PRI PARTY FAVORS EQUALY PARA CELEBRATNS FOR BODY FACE

’Steward believ tattoos beme a symbol of masculy for gay men, closely tied wh the gay leather said: ‘I was overwhelmed by the sudn appearance of so many of the figur… as the impulse of many homosexuals to be nsired more mascule — by the addn of a tattoo — grew stronger. Pk triangle tattooIn Nazi Germany the mid-1940s, gay prisoners ncentratn mps were forced to wearg pk triangl as a badge of fact, one scholar says the gay prisoners were the ‘lowt of the low’ the hierarchy of the ncentratn tortured the gay prisoners by stratg some of them and sodomizg them wh ems like broomsticks.

They also performed dangero experiments on them to fd cur for typh fever and homosexualy. Acrdg to timatns, between 5, 000 and 15, 000 gay people died German ncentratn eye wns acunts and personal ttimoni emerged several s later, LGBTI activists began reclaimg the earlit acunts Ameri date back to 1977, where LGBTI activists Miami pned pk triangl to their cloth to prott hog the early 80s, anizatn ACT-UP ed the pk triangle to try to raise awarens the midst of the AIDS crisis. ‘I got after the Pulse nightclub shootg Florida, ’ Nick McGlynn told Gay Star News.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* GAY EQUALITY TATTOOS

Sunak Apologiz for Historic Treatment of UK Gay Veterans - Bloomberg .

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