In victory speech, Megan Rapinoe calls on Americans to ‘love more, hate less’

Soccer star Megan Rapinoe urged Americans to “love more” and “hate less” in a speech Wednesday during a ticker tape parade celebrating the U.S. women’s national soccer team in New York City.

“This is my charge to everyone, we have to be better. We have to love more, hate less. We got to listen more and talk less,” Rapinoe told the crowd.

“We got to know that this is everybody’s responsibility, every single person here, every single person who is 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,” she continued. 

“We have to be better. We have to love more. Hate less.”

Megan Rapinoe’s closing statements #USWNTParade | #USWNT pic.twitter.com/BUJvBfLkYT

— Sporting News (@sportingnews) July 10, 2019

Rapinoe and her teammates took home the United States’ fourth Women’s World Cup on Sunday, breaking their own record and defending their championship status. But the team has drawn international recognition not only for its championship record, but also for its calls for equal pay.{mosads}

The team’s 28 players sued the U.S. Soccer Federation earlier this year, accusing the organization of “institutionalized gender discrimination” including inequity in pay, practice time, practice locations, medical treatment, coaching and travel. The two sides reportedly reached a tentative deal last month.

Rapinoe, an outspoken activist in the fight for gaining equal pay, apologized for “some” of her past remarks on Wednesday, but did not elaborate on which comments. 

“There’s been so much contention in these last years. I’ve been a victim of that — I’ve been a perpetrator of that when I fight with the federation. I’m sorry for some of the things I said, not all of the things,” she said. 

Rapinoe challenged the crowd to make their community better.

“You’re more than someone who just supports sports, you’re more than someone who tunes in every four years. You’re someone who walks these streets every single day, you interact with your community every single day — how do you make your community better? How do you make the people around you better?” she said. 

“Do what you can do, what you have to do, step outside yourself, be more, be better. Be bigger than you’ve ever been before.”