Robbie Rogers is proving himself to be a true role model — not only is he the only openly gay professional soccer player, he stands up loudly for what's right.
Penning an essay in USA Today this week, Rogers took FIFA, the sport's international governing body, to task for choosing Russia and Qatar as the hosts of the next World Cups, to be held in 2018 and 2022, respectively. Awarding two nations that criminalize same-sex activity or supposed gay "propaganda" sends a message that FIFA doesn't care about LGBT players or fans, he writes:
"If actions speak louder than words, then the message FIFA sends to gay athletes is painfully clear. Not only don't they have our backs, our lives don't matter. So for any gay soccer player who has hopes of playing for the U.S. National Team at the World Cup, being open about their sexuality could have real consequences when they set foot in countries with laws that could land them in jail."
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