Pop Culture Fix: Sue Bird Smooches Megan Rapinoe, Shouts Out Seattle Gay Bar in Final Home Game

Feature image Steph Chambers/Getty Images

I have spent three hours of my Monday morning with Spectrum — send help! Or brownies! I managed to make you a Pop Culture Fix with my hot spot!


+ Yesterday was Sue Bird’s final regular season home game. The WNBA legend and world famous lesbian couldn’t pull out a win against the Aces, but the crowd was a record-setting sell out that cheered her every move and sat in rapt attention as she gave an impromptu speech after the game. She thanked the fans, the city, all her 21 years of teammates and coaches — and also Seattle’s gay bar, Wildrose! She said it took her a while to figure out who she is, but once she did, the fans just kept on supporting her. It was actually really moving seeing 18,000+ people cheering on her gayness when she called it out like that. Megan Rapinoe was also there, of course, and sideline reporter Holly Rowe broke down in tears after their post-game conversation. Here’s the full speech.

And here’s Sue and Megan smoochin’ in the tunnel before the game. What a career, what a legacy, what gayness!

Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe kiss before her final home game

Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images

+ Amandla Stenberg is the queer Gen Z scream queen of our dreams.

+ Ecuadorian queer drama Ñusta builds Latin American production partnerships.

+ Dead End: Paranormal Park explores theme parks as queer getaways.

+ Related: Dead End: Paranormal Park‘s Zach Barack on what it means to be a trans lead.

+ The #SaveGentlemanJack campaign had a flash mob outside Shibden Hall and the Yorkshire Post covered it! If real life Anne Lister could see this, she would be over the moon!

+ Paper Girls‘ LGBTQ+ story succeeds where Stranger Things fails.

+ Oh, you want more gay WNBA news? No problem! This weekend, Candace Parker became the only player in WNBA history to reach 6,000+ points, 3,000+ rebounds, 1,000+ assists, and 600+ blocks!

+ Limited Edition HOCUS POCUS CEREAL will appear in stores this month!

+ Ashly Burch’s contribution to LGBTQ+ representation.

+ The first gay Doctor promises a new queer era of Doctor Who.

+ A Cats reimagining sets the musical in the queer ballroom scene (which, frankly, makes this musical finally make sense)!

+ Leslie Grace spoke out about her Batgirl movie getting cancelled.

+ RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant Shea Couleé has joined the cast of Marvel’s Ironheart.

+ Lightyear won’t be making it to the Middle East on Disney+ due to the gay kiss.

+ Lady Gaga is going to be in Joker: Folie À Deux apparently?

+ And finally some not gay but also very gay news: Beyoncé and Madonna joined forces for a The Queen’s Remix, which blends “Break My Soul” with “Vogue” — and it’s now on streaming platforms.

Before you go! Autostraddle runs on the reader support of our AF+ Members. If this article meant something to you today — if it informed you or made you smile or feel seen, will you consider joining AF and supporting the people who make this queer media site possible?

Join AF+!

Heather Hogan

Heather Hogan is an Autostraddle senior editor who lives in New York City with her wife, Stacy, and their cackle of rescued pets. She's a member of the Television Critics Association, GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, and a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer critic. You can also find her on Twitter and Instagram.

Heather has written 1719 articles for us.

8 Comments

  1. In video game related news, they brought Bridget back in Guilty Gear Strive and they confirmed that she’s trans! This is coming off the return and reveal that Testament is nonbinary. Good shit! They just need to bring Venom & Elphelt back and we’ll have all the Guilty Gear LGBTQIA+ characters in one game.

    https://youtu.be/3GYL5FVpjG4

  2. I was at the storm game yesterday and the energy in the arena was incredible. Completely sold out game. And yes, my queer ass screamed so loud when she mentioned the Wildrose!!! Amazing to watch a woman celebrate her queerness on national television, and for the crowd to in turn celebrate our Seattle queer community. I could cry just thinking of it.

  3. Also! Tabletop RPG Thirsty Sword Lesbians won TWO Ennies (Best Game and Product of the Year) as well as a Nebula award for Best Writing (which you covered before but if folks didnt see it then). The corebook has a starting scenario called Gal Paladins and I am so here for it!

Contribute to the conversation...

Yay! You've decided to leave a comment. That's fantastic. Please keep in mind that comments are moderated by the guidelines laid out in our comment policy. Let's have a personal and meaningful conversation and thanks for stopping by!