Power couple alert
ESPN features the first same-sex couple for their Body Issue with Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird
Move over Jay-Z and Beyoncé, there's a new power couple in town — and they're baring it all for ESPN The Magazine's annual Body Issue.
Soccer star Megan Rapinoe and WNBA great Sue Bird are the first same-sex couple to be featured on the cover of the Body Issue, which aims to challenge beauty norms and celebrate the diversity of all athletic bodies.
With the politically charged state of the U.S., Rapinoe told the magazine that posing with Bird for the cover felt necessary. "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," said Rapinoe, a forward for the U.S. National Women's Soccer team and Seattle Reign FC.
Bird, who plays point guard for the Seattle Storm, agreed, saying she believes the cover will only get better with age. As the years go by, it'll only seem more momentous that they were the "first openly gay couple to be in the issue," she said.
For the 10th anniversary of the Body Issue, ESPN is putting out 10 covers altogether, reports People. The covers include three other female athletes: soccer player Crystal Dunn, softball player Lauren Chamberlain, and basketball player Breanna Stewart. The issue hits newsstands June 29.