Megan Rapinoe is hosting a TV special to talk about current events

AP

World-class athlete Megan Rapinoe is teaming up with HBO Sports for a new special which tackles everything from the COVID-19 pandemic to racial injustice and LGBT rights. U.S. House of Representatives member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is among the guests who will appear with Rapinoe on the televised special.

“Seeing America with Megan Rapinoe” will offer the two-time Women’s World Cup-winning team member a chance to shed a light on important social justice topics. The U.S. Women’s National Team forward is known as much for her well-articulated yet passionate political positions as she is for her soccer prowess. Along with Ocasio-Cortez, other top guests will be Hasan Minhaj, the host of Netflix’s “Patriot Act,” and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones of The New York Times.

“It is an honor to host a show with a critical conversation between some of America’s most innovative thought leaders,” Rapinoe said in a news release. “I am so thankful to HBO for providing such a powerful platform for this important dialogue.”

Rapinoe will also be an executive producer for the series, alongside HBO Sports’ execs Peter Nelson and Bentley Weiner. The program will allow for social distancing between Rapinoe and her guests to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

AP

In recent years, Rapinoe has made global headlines for her activism and her fearlessness in discussing political topics, even though many people criticized the soccer star for being so outspoken. During a 2016 international game, she took a knee in support of NFL player Colin Kaepernick, and she has also spoken about the gender wage gap in her sport.

In the July 2012 issue of “Out” magazine, Rapinoe discussed her sexuality at length for the first time publically, saying that it was important for the LGBT community to see representation in sports.

“I feel like sports in general are still homophobic, in the sense that not a lot of people are out,” Rapinoe said to Out. “I feel everyone is really craving [for] people to come out. People want — they need — to see that there are people like me playing soccer for the good ol’ U.S. of A.”

AP

Rapinoe has also made headlines for her appearances on talk shows like CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360” and MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show.”

In 2019 interview with Cooper, she admonished President Trump to be more inclusive, addressing him directly she faced the camera and urged him to rethink his message. Watch the powerful clip below:

“Seeing America with Megan Rapinoe” will air on HBO at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT this Saturday, August 1. it will also stream on HBO Max. Check out the teaser for the show here.

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Bridget Sharkey
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