Megan Rapinoe Testifies Before Congress, Absolutely Buries US Soccer Federation for Gender Pay Gap: ‘It’s Just Unacceptable’
Megan Rapinoe testified before Congress on Wednesday to address the gender pay gap in the United States — directly calling out the U.S. soccer federation for working against equal pay.
Rapinoe, whose team is the reigning FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, opened her statement by saying that there is “no level of status, or accomplishment, or power that will protect you from the clutches of inequality.”
She went on to note that nobody can outperform inequality — not even the U.S. women’s national team (USWNT), which has broken viewing records and sold out stadiums, in addition to holding four World Cup championship titles, four Olympic gold medals, and eight CONCACAF Gold Cups.
“We’re so often told in this country that if you just work hard, and continue to achieve, you will be rewarded fairly,” Rapinoe said. “It’s the promise of the American dream, but that promise has not been for everyone.”
“For each trophy, of which there are many, for each win, for each tie, for each time we play. Less,” she added.
Rapinoe then went on to call out the U.S. soccer federation (USSF) directly, making a veiled reference to the gender discrimination lawsuit the team filed in 2019.
While the USSF settled the suit last December, agreeing to provide the women’s team with conditions equal to the men’s, the federation maintained that they did not do anything wrong.
“In fact, instead of lobbying with the women’s team and our efforts for equal pay and equality in general, US soccer federation has continually lobbied against our efforts and the efforts of billions of people marginalized by gender in the United States,” Rapinoe said.
She went then pointed to her own privilege, highlight that if she and her teammates can face discrimination despite the “brightest light shining on us,” that it can happen to anyone marginalized by gender.
Rapinoe closed the hearing by reiterating that her team continuously brings gold medals back to the U.S., adding, “For all of us who work so hard and see how hard the men’s team works and see how hard our teams work, and know that that’s equal, it’s just unacceptable that we’re still fighting for equal pay.”
“I feel like, honestly, we’ve done everything,” she added. “You want stadiums filled? We’ve filled them. You want role models for your kids, for your boys and your girls, and your little trans kids, we have that. You want us to be respectful, you want us to perform on the world stage, you want us to take the stars and stripes, the red, white, and blue, across the entire globe and represent America in the best way possible. We’ve done all of that. There is no reason why we are underpaid for the exception of gender.”
President Joe Biden also plans to meet with plans to meet with Rapinoe, Margaret Purce and other U.S. soccer stars at a Wednesday event marking Equal Pay Day.
Watch above, via YouTube.
