U.S. women's soccer star Megan Rapinoe opened up on CNN about coming out as gay, revealing she didn't realize her sexual orientation until she arrived at college.

When asked if it was difficult for her to come out to her family and friends she said, 'It wasn’t difficult for me in the moment. I didn’t realize it until I got to college.'

'And then I soon as I realized it, looking back at my teenage years I was like "Oh my god,"' she explained to host Anderson Cooper on Tuesday.

'I was like What, Mom really? We're surprised about this?' she joked about finally coming forward to her family.

'I knew when I was six, how could you not know as a teenager?' an incredulous Cooper asked through laughter.

'I didn't. It's so embarrassing because I'm just very gay, I don't know how it happened but as soon as it clicked I was like she has arrived. She is here. Her life is beginning,"' the 34-year-old athlete explained.

U.S. women's soccer star Megan Rapinoe opened up about how she came out as gay, revealing she didn't realize until she was in college, during an interview with CNN on Tuesday

She's been with professional basketball player Sue Bird since they met at the 2016 Olympics

Megan Rapinoe runs to kiss her girlfriend Sue Bird after winning the World Cup on Sunday

'It's so embarrassing because I'm just very gay, I don't know how it happened but as soon as it clicked I was like she has arrived. She is here. Her life is beginning,"' Rapinoe said

Rapinoe been with professional basketball player Sue Bird since they met at the 2016 Olympics.

During her Tuesday interview, the U.S. women's team co-captain also defended her protest during the national anthem at the World Cup where she refused to put her hand over her heart in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, calling it one of the most difficult moments of her life.

'It was difficult and heavy but I had this immense sense of pride and responsibility in doing that so I think that’s where the strength to do it a number of times came from,' she said.

'I think that taking care of others, standing up for yourself and other people if they don’t have the ability to do so is very uniquely American,' she added.

Throughout the tournament she defiantly refused to sing or lift her hands during the anthem, and in years prior used to take a knee as Kaepernick did to protest police brutality and racism, stirring widespread outrage over her 'disrespect' for the flag.

'I think that taking care of others, standing up for yourself and other people if they don’t have the ability to do so is very uniquely American,' she said on her protest

During the World Cup she refused to place her hand on her heart or sing during the national anthem, pictured above in a quarter-final match between France and the US on June 28

Megan Rapinoe says kneeling during the National Anthem was difficult, but not disrespectful, adding that she is hopeful there will be a day when she will not feel the need to kneel https://t.co/FSUr8pSaqo pic.twitter.com/FQhsvifXDg — Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) July 10, 2019

Rapinoe was first white female to follow Kaepernick’s protest when she took a knee before a game in 2016. But in 2017 the U.S. Soccer Federation passed a policy declaring that players must 'stand respectfully' during the national anthem, forcing her to alter her protest.

Off the soccer field Rapinoe has become an outspoken critic of the Trump administration, from kneeling during the anthem to refusing Trump's informal Twitter invitation to the White House.

In June, the president extended an invitation to Rapinoe and the team on Twitter, but she told Eight by Eight magazine that she would not visit 'the f***ing White House' because she objects to the Trump administration.

Since then Trump's remained quiet about an invitation and said to reporters on Sunday 'We haven't really thought about it. We'll look at that'. This week there has been no clarity from the White House.

On Tuesday she revealed she and the team want to go to Washington D.C. and would gladly accept the invitations they've received from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Nancy Pelosi, and Chuck Schumer.

Rapinoe was first white female to follow Kaepernick’s protest when she took a knee before a game in 2016. But in 2017 the U.S. Soccer Federation passed a policy declaring that players must 'stand respectfully' during the national anthem, forcing her to alter her protest

Her protest was in solidarity with former NFL player Colin Kaepernick who took a knee during games to protest police brutality and racism in the U.S

'This is such a special moment for us...to celebrate with the leaders of our country so yes to AOC, yes to Nancy Pelosi, yes to bipartisan Congress, yes to Chuck Schumer, yes to anyone else that wants to invite us and have a real substantive conversation and believe in the same things that we believe in,' Rapinoe said.

On Tuesday Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he looks forward to scheduling a time when 'these inspiring women can come to the nation's capital.'

Rapinoe opened up her decision to take a knee an essay for The Player’s Tribune titled 'Why I am Kneeling'.

'I don’t think anybody can deny the horrors of racism and Jim Crow and mass incarceration and what’s happening on the southern border and gay rights and women’s rights,' Rapinoe explained Tuesday.

When asked if she felt like she was disrespecting the flag, the 34-year-old athlete said she did not.

'I do not. I think that protest is not comfortable ever. It’s going to make people uncomfortable... It doesn’t feel good for anyone, even in those moments kneeling. Those were some of the most crazy, personal moments I’ve ever had. That’s what it takes, progress is hard,' she said.

When asked if she sees a day in the future when she would stand and put a hand over her heart for the national anthem she said, 'Yeah, I’m very hopeful for that'.

Cooper then gave her the opportunity to look at the camera and give a message directly to President Trump himself.

'Your message is excluding people. You’re excluding me. You’re excluding people that look like me. You’re excluding people of color. You’re excluding Americans that maybe support you. I think that we need to have a reckoning with the message that you have about Make America Great Again. I think you’re harking back to an era that wasn’t great for everyone,' she said.

'You have an incredible responsibility as the chief of this country to take care of every single person, and you need to do better for everyone,' she added.