Megan Rapinoe

LGBTQ Nation readers voted for the heroes who inspired them most. Here’s who you all picked.

Bird is the winningest player in women’s basketball history and the fans made sure to tell her how much they love her.

These five athletes redefined what it means to be LGBTQ on the pitch, in the pool, and on the gridiron.

Jenna Ellis referred to the Olympic gold medalists as “losers.” Twitter reminded Ellis that Rudy Giuliani once farted on her in public.

The anonymous Christian wrote that “God loves you” before sharing an anti-gay Bible verse.

Megan Rapinoe has been a leader both on and off the field. It’s not hard to see why she’s being honored.

Here’s a brief look at who they are and why they’ve proved so influential over the last year.

“I feel a lot of pride for the girls who are going to see this growing up, and recognize their value rather than having to fight for it,” U.S. forward Margaret Purce said.

Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird are one of the most famous same-sex couples in the country. The key to their flame is their desire to change the world.

This year, professional athletes came out in droves, speaking up for their community and speaking out for causes they believed in.

Male athletes aren’t forced to take months away from competition when a baby is on the way. So why should they be forced to do so by Texas’ ban on abortion?

The Black Trump supporter has made a career out of being “controversial,” but now she’s stooped to a new low.

Hope Solo says she witnessed Megan Rapinoe “almost bullying” teammates into kneeling during the national anthem. The only problem: Solo was kicked off the team before those protests ever began.

“Team LGBTQ” dominated in Tokyo, and in more ways than one showed up in the medal tally.

Sue Bird now has more Olympic gold medals than any other basketball player in history. But the internet just couldn’t get over seeing her and Megan Rapinoe together on a global stage.

The non-binary soccer star’s Olympics journey closes with several history-making games and an achievement every athlete has dreamed of.

He described the team as “a radical group of Leftist Maniacs” before singling out Megan Rapinoe for special abuse.

Rapinoe scored twice, including a rare “olimpico” goal, and teammate Carli Lloyd broke a record for the most career Olympic goals.

Liberal fans quickly shot back, mocking Candace Owens’ faux outrage. But conservatives quickly called her out too. And then the veterans stepped in. Then international soccer fans piled on.

While Trump and conservatives were booing the world’s most decorated women’s soccer team, the U.S. has already rebounded with a win.