NYPD is investigating a potential hate crime directed at soccer star Megan Rapinoe after Nike posters featuring her image were vandalized at a subway station in midtown Manhattan
- Subway posters featuring openly-gay soccer star Megan Rapinoe were defaced with slurs and the NYPD is investigating the matter as a hate crime
- The vandalized posters were found inside the Bryant Park subway station in midtown Manhattan. At least six posters were vandalized, according to the MTA
- Hate crimes in New York are up 64 percent this year, according to NYPD stats
- On Wednesday the city honored Rapinoe and her World Cup-winning teammates with a ticker tape parade through the Canyon of Heroes in lower Manhattan
- Rapinoe is active socially on LGBTQ issues and is outspoken about gender equity
- She also sparred with President Donald Trump on Twitter while the team was in France for the World Cup competition, refusing to make a White House visit
- Rapinoe has refused to sign the national anthem after previously kneeling during renditions of the song in solidarity with ex-NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick
Posters featuring Women's World Cup star Megan Rapinoe were defaced, with slurs written on them, and police in New York City said they are investigating the action as a hate crime, according to multiple reports.
The vandalized Nike posters were found inside the Bryant Park subway station in midtown Manhattan. At least six posters were vandalized, although images of the graffiti have not been made public by the MTA or NYPD.
'Hate has no place in the transit system and we work hard to make the subway a welcoming, safe environment for everyone,' read a statement from the MTA. 'We referred this to NYPD which responded to investigate, our maintenance teams got the posters cleaned and we will have them replaced with new ones if necessary.'
Hate crimes in New York City are up 64 percent this year, NBC News reported, citing statistics from the NYPD.
The vandalized Nike posters were found inside the Bryant Park subway station in midtown Manhattan. At least six posters were vandalized, although images of the graffiti have not been made public by the MTA or NYPD
At the post-parade rally at City Hall, Rapinoe was so overcome with emotion that she thanked the fans in attendance by cursing at them: 'New York City, you're the mother***ing best!'
On Wednesday the city honored Rapinoe and her World Cup-winning teammates with a ticker tape parade through the Canyon of Heroes.
At the post-parade rally at City Hall, Rapinoe was so overcome with emotion that she thanked the fans in attendance by cursing at them: 'New York City, you're the mother***ing best!'
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Rapinoe, a lesbian, is active in LGBTQ issues and is outspoken about gender equity. She also notably sparred with President Donald Trump on Twitter while the team was in France for the World Cup competition.
Prior to the post-parade rally, Rapinoe declined to sing the national anthem along with her teammates or place her hand over her heart.
The 34-year-old star had refused to do either during the World Cup and in previous years, she knelt during the anthem in solidarity with former NFL quarterback-turned social activist Colin Kaepernick, who first started the protests in 2016 to address inequality and racist police brutality.
Rapinoe (right) told the audience as she represented her team on stage to college the group trophy: 'I've dropped the F-bomb on every stage the last four days, so we'll just spare you that'
In June Trump criticized Rapinoe on Twitter after she told Eight by Eight magazine that she would not visit 'the f***ing White House' because she objects to his administration.
At Wednesday's ESPY awards in Los Angeles, the World Cup champions nabbed the award for best team of the year.
Rapinoe told the audience as she represented her team on stage to college the group trophy: 'I've dropped the F-bomb on every stage the last four days, so we'll just spare you that.'
That was after she inadvertently flashed the audience when her black tuxedo jacket opened and exposed her left breast and she got up from the front row, a wardrobe malfunction caught by cameras showing the in-house feed of the show.
An ABC spokesperson said the show would be further edited for the Mountain and Western time zones.
The U.S. women's national soccer team won the award for best team at the 2019 ESPYS in Los Angeles on Wednesday and #13 Alex Morgan won the individual honor of Best Female Athlete. Megan Rapinoe is pictured at the microphone while the team accepts the award for Best Team at Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday night
