U.S. Women's Soccer Team Chants 'Equal Pay!' During Ticker Tape Parade

After their World Cup victory on Sunday, New York City has thrown the US women’s soccer team a ticker tape parade. It’s the team’s fourth win since 1991, and the second win for many of the team members who played in this year’s World Cup. Further, the team landed back in the U.S. Monday amidst the growing conversation around pay disparities in women’s soccer, so the issue took center stage for much of the parade’s festivities. Fans flocked to Manhattan, where signs like “Rapinoe For President” lined the streets and, ironically, Mayor Bill De Blasio used the women’s fight for equity in their workplace to tout his presidential campaign. As CNN reports, the Democratic hopeful claimed:

“If I were president of the United States, I would insist that Congress pass an amendment to the Amateur Sports Act requiring — requiring — equal pay for men and women in all of our national sports teams. And if they didn’t do it, I’d use an executive order to have the Treasury Department enforce on the US Soccer Federation, because they’re Tax Exempt, and they’re discriminating, in effect, against women in pay.”

He was later spotted waving American flags alongside members of the team. Not long after his speech, former US goalkeeper and 1999 Women’s World Cup champion Briana Scurry said there was “no excuse” for the pay disparities, and reminded CNN reporters that her team “began the fight” for equal distribution of publicity, promotions, and travel amenities.

Later, New York governor Andrew Cuomo signed equal pay legislation, tweeting the below photo ahead of the parade. ABC News reports that the law will close loopholes that “allows gender discrimination in pay for the same jobs.” The governor, who addressed a crowd at the ceremony, said:

“There is no rationale why women should not get paid what men get paid. […] New York will continue to lead the way forward and stand in solidarity with women and girls in every corner of this state. By signing this legislation, we are not only doing the right thing, we are also doing the moral thing and equal pay for equal work is now the law in the State of New York.”

Seen with the governor, members of the team later chanted “Equal pay!” as the float was carried through the streets and throngs of cheering fans.