Laurie Hernandez is beyond proud of the U.S. Women’s Soccer team for using their big win to shine light on equal pay! Now, she tells HollywoodLife that she wants to keep the conversation going, and it’s time to ‘hold people accountable.’

Laurie Hernandez is wise beyond her years. The 19-year-old olympic gymnast believes the conversation about equal pay “definitely needs to happen,” she told HollywoodLife at the Nickelodean Kids Choice Awards in Los Angeles on July 11. And, Laurie commended the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team for using their World Cup winning platform to push for change.

“I mean, the fact that they were able to take a stand and have something as big as winning, and you use that as a platform to speak out about something that you are passionate about like equal pay, I agree with it 100%,” she said. “I think being able to have a voice and have a platform — part of that responsibility is using it and that is exactly what the women’s soccer team did!”

Now, Laurie says it’s time for everyone to build on that platform the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team created. “Let’s keep that conversation going,” Laurie proclaimed. “Let’s hold people accountable and just make sure that you let people speak and hear you!”

The U.S. women’s soccer team, with Megan Rapinoe at the center, celebrating  at City Hall after a parade, celebrating their World Cup win in New York on July 10, 2019. (Photo credit: Shutterstock) 

The U.S. Women’s Soccer team took home their 4th World Cup win on July 7 when they dominated the Netherlands in the Final winning 2-0. The team celebrated with a champagne-filled, homecoming ticker tape parade in New York City on July 10, where Mayor Bill de Blasio gave the each team member a symbolic key to the City.

During the parade, the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team took the opportunity to shine light on equal pay, seeing as the prize money for the 2019 Women’s World Cup was $30 million, compared to the men’s 2018 World Cup prize, which was a whopping $400 million, according to the New York Times. After their historic win, the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team will shift their focus back to a gender discrimination lawsuit, filed before the tournament, that demands pay equal to that of their male counterparts.

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