#EQUALPAY, High School Edition

October 20, 2019 8:31 AM

But their protest came at a price: A girls’ high school soccer team in Vermont made a statement in favor of equal pay for men and women in sports during a game on Friday...
posted by dfm500 (11 comments total)

Referees issued yellow cards to at least four players at the Friday game.

Nevertheless, she persisted.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 9:17 AM on October 20, 2019 [25 favorites]

The girls have received orders for more than 500 #EqualPay shirts, including from male soccer players at their school.

Ya know, I'm starting to think that maybe, the kids are alright.
posted by notsnot at 9:48 AM on October 20, 2019 [37 favorites]

League rules bar the girls from wearing uniforms with slogans on them in official games, although they’re fine for practices and off-field activities, the team’s coach told NBC affiliate WPTZ in Plattsburgh, New York.

Man, I hate the implication there that the league could ban these for "off-field activities" if they so chose.
posted by Navelgazer at 10:12 AM on October 20, 2019 [7 favorites]

We want equality, but men have to pay more???
posted by Burn_IT at 12:02 PM on October 20, 2019 [2 favorites]

"You'll be shot for this!"

"Nah, more like chewed out. I been chewed out before."
posted by East14thTaco at 12:02 PM on October 20, 2019 [3 favorites]

We want equality, but men have to pay more???

Please learn to read:

#EqualPay jerseys cost $25, but the team is inviting men to pay an additional $4.80 to represent closing the wage gap, the Free Press reported.

Men do not have to pay more. They are being asked to do so if they wish, as a gesture of support and as a way of acknowledging the pay disparity between men and women.
posted by tocts at 12:17 PM on October 20, 2019 [57 favorites]

More info about the project, including a link to buy the jerseys. Note that they are made by Nike, which is not exactly known for paying its own workers a fair or living wage, but that doesn't discount (heh) what these girls are saying.
posted by basalganglia at 1:24 PM on October 20, 2019 [3 favorites]

It's impossible to be neutral in politics. Siding with the status quo is just siding with the powerful.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 1:36 PM on October 20, 2019 [16 favorites]

@basalganglia You could use a strip of tape to cover the Nike swoosh on the jersey, with #equalpay written over it in ballpoint pen.
posted by doctorfrog at 2:12 PM on October 20, 2019 [3 favorites]

As it happens, the standard punishment for removing one's jersey during a match is a yellow card, regardless of what (if anything) is underneath the jersey.

So, in fact, as far as the actual protest was concerned, the players received no punishment at all.

Good on that referee.
posted by Cardinal Fang at 3:57 PM on October 20, 2019 [11 favorites]

I'm so excited to see this posted here! I know two of the girls who are co-captains, and I'm so proud and impressed with them. It's grown beyond their expectations and they are handling the extra spotlight wonderfully. I'm glad the refs did their job as well, the message is stronger when it comes despite the price. The interview on Good Morning America really tells the story of their enthusiasm.
posted by meinvt at 5:27 PM on October 20, 2019 [16 favorites]