US Soccer Star Megan Rapinoe Stuns Social Media With 'Charge to Everyone' Speech at NYC Parade

Megan Rapinoe made an impassioned speech Wednesday morning during the women's national soccer [...]

By Libby Birk

Megan Rapinoe made an impassioned speech Wednesday morning during the women's national soccer team's victory rally in front of New York City's City Hall. After helping lead the USWNT to its second consecutive and fourth total Women's World Cup, she continued her vocal battle for empowerment.

In her speech, the 34-year-old forward thanked supporters and charged everyone to be better.

"This is my charge to everyone: We have to be better," she said. "We have to love more, hate less. We gotta listen more and talk less. We gotta know that this is everybody's responsibility. Eery single person here. Every single person who's not here. Every single person who doesn't want to be here. Every single person who agrees and doesn't agree. It's our responsibility to make this world a better place."

"I think this team does an incredible job of taking that on our shoulders," she said.

Before she spoke at the ticker-tape parade ceremony, U.S. Soccer Federation president Carlos Cordeiro made some remarks but was interrupted by chants of "Equal pay! Equal pay!"

To Cordeiro's credit, he didn't shy away from the topic. "We hear you. We believe in you. And we're committed to doing right by you," he said.

He also mispronounced Rapnioe's last name.

However, Rapinoe endorsed Cordeiro and gave him the team's support by saying everyone in a position of power gets booed from time to time.

She also gushed over her team, which after the victory rally has plans to fly to Los Angeles for Wednesday night's ESPYs.

"This group is so resilient, is so tough, has such a sense of humor, is just so badass. There is nothing that can faze this group. We're chillin', we got tea sippin', we got celebrations," she said.

"We got pink hair and purple hair. We have tattoos and dreadlocks. We got white girls and black girls. And everything in between. Straight girls and gay girls," she continued, which resulted in quite the roar from the crowd.

On Tuesday, Rapinoe said she "held up [her] end of the bargain" after President Donald Trump called her out during the tournament, saying she should win before she speaks out against visiting the White House. Previously, Rapinoe told Sports Illustrated that she wouldn't visit the historic landmark if the USWNT won the World Cup. Her comments went viral when a video was released ahead of the team's quarterfinal where she underscored that she was "not going to the f—ing White House." Following the tournament, Trump congratulated the team on the win and for its "great and exciting play."

Photo credit: Ira L. Black - Corbis / Contributor / Getty

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