Soccer legends Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger closed out their year of magical everything over the weekend with the most fairytale gay wedding I have ever seen or heard of in my entire life. They announced their engagement in March (which was their official coming out, really) in People magazine; won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in July; went on an unapologetic celebration tour like the world has never seen a group of women do over the summer; and brought it home with a holiday wedding.
Look, I love when gay people get married, almost no matter what, but this wedding, after this year, and after Harris and Krieger were forced to spend almost a decade in the closet with each other because women’s soccer and sponsorships for athletes have only recently become slightly queer-friendly, is just pure joy to me. Their wedding cake was a rainbow! Ashlyn’s tux was a sleeveless, sparkly, be-shortted custom Thom Browne creation worn with such socks! I’ve never seen so many women wedding attendees in suits! Megan Rapinoe was Ashylyn’s best person and looked better in her classic tux than James Bond ever dreamed of looking!
People, of course, has the first look photos from the wedding — but also, so does Instagram (plus the rehearsal).
Now, if you really want to get emotional, watch their wedding video.
That video had me in tears.
Megan helping Ashlyn into her tux.
The vows, Ali cracking up, Ashlyn holding her hand, that wedding kiss.
OK. Love is not a lie. I finally believe you.
Ahhhhh! That video is so beautiful. THEY are so beautiful. 😭😭😭
And I continue to be IN LOVE with Ashlyn’s style. She looks masculine & feminine, soft yet tough, all at the same time and it’s just… iconic.
Beautiful! Our athletes don’t disappoint
Hoping No Filter will have all the guests and such
I love this and them and all the posts and the video so much!!!
That video is absolutely beautiful. So much love and joy. Makes me cry every single time.
Ok, that video has me in tears at my desk … I may have watched it twice now.
Love is not a lie indeed.
It’s New Years Eve here in New Zealand, and this is what I need to see going into 2020.
They are amazing and beautiful and so are the photos.
Also can we all agree that Pinoe’s official title should now be “best person” for life?
Top gay moments in women’s soccer (USWNT and NWSL-centric) in 2019 as ranked by me. See replies for the continuation of the list.
1. Megan Rapinoe
Whenever, wherever Rapinoe was this year she made it 100% gayer through her mere presence. People who know -6 about women’s soccer know who Megan Rapinoe is and they know she’s gay. From feuding with Trump, winning all the awards, being cute with Sue Bird, and appearing on the actual L Word as herself, you can’t get gayer than her.
2. Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris get gay married. And I mean gay.
It is hard for many long-time fans to process the news; for almost 9 years Krieger and Harris were closeted (even though it was a glass closet in recent years). They made up for it by having the gayest wedding that ever existed: rainbow cake, women in suits, tables named after influential LGBTQ individuals. Congratulations Krashlyn fans. When Alex Morgan uses your portmanteau for the couple in her Instagram story from the wedding, you know you’ve made it.
3. Kelley O’Hara kisses her girlfriend at the World Cup final
Unless you’re a dedicated queer fan of the USWNT, you probably didn’t know Kelley O’Hara’s gay. That’s understandable. She didn’t do a coming out announcement or Instagram post or interview. She just hauled herself up by her impressive biceps and kissed her girlfriend in the stands. The fact that she was drunk for the next month of victory celebrations is unrelated.
4. Krieger and Harris announce their engagement.
What’s baller is when your actual engagement announcement is literally the first public confirmation you’ve ever given of your relationship. They’d been more and more open over the previous year, but People’s announcement of Krieger and Harris’s engagement is when every queer soccer fan who’d ever had to argue with a straight girl (or dude) over whether or not they were gay was finally vindicated.
5. AD Franch and her partner get married.
It was a banner year for Franch – named to the USWNT World Cup squad, winning the World Cup, finally finishing her degree, and ultimately marrying her partner (just 1 week before the Krieger-Harris wedding). That 6-0 Thorns loss to the Courage fades in comparison.
6. Marta and Toni U-Haul like none before.
This is my personal #1 because as a Pride fan I loooooooove Marta and Toni. Many believed 6-time FIFA Player of the Year Marta was out the door for Orlando after this last clusterfuck of a season, but Pride fans got down on their knees to thank Toni Pressley, Pride defender. The breakout surprise couple of 20gayteen, in 2019 they moved in together, adopted 2 more dogs, weathered a health crisis, survived the worst Pride season in history, and ended the year buying a new house.
7. Tobin Heath and Christen Press vacation in the same locations at the same time, occasionally appear in photos together.
8. Rachel Daly likes a tweet giving a shout out to her keeping a girlfriend for longer than 1 NWSL season.
She’s the Shane of the NWSL. Daly dated Sarah Garden of the Red Stars and Christen Westphal of the Reign before settling down with Kristie Mewis (USWNT Sam Mewis’s older sister).
9. Orlando Pride’s breast cancer game against Reign FC
Toni Pressley was diagnosed with breast cancer in early July; underwent a double mastectomy, and made it back to appear in one of the season’s final games. The commentators mistakenly thought Marta was Pride captain for the game; she was not. The mistake came because Marta wore pink tape wrapped around her arm with Toni’s initials and a heart. In the waning minutes of the game, after Pressley had subbed in, Marta scored a goal to tie the score at 2-2. She ran to Toni, held her face, told her the goal was for her, and kissed her on the cheek. So gay.
10. Rachel Daly and Kristie Mewis get a couple’s deal on a can of whoop-ass from Marta.
Marta and Rachel Daly are the mortal enemies of the NWSL. A game between Houston and Orlando in which both are playing is guaranteed to be entertaining and probably end in a red card (for Marta). In a July game between the 2 sides, Marta and Daly were quibbling over the ball after Houston was awarded a penalty kick. Next thing we know, Daly’s on the ground and Mewis has run over to defend her girlfriend. She doesn’t get far, because Marta takes her out in a hot second, at which point Daly jumps back up to defend Mewis’s honor. Marta deserved her red card and extra game suspension, but that shit was the most hilarious thing I saw all season. Don’t fuck with Marta.
11. The no-drama couples keep on keeping on.
A shout-out to the sweethearts who kept their heads in the game. You don’t hear a lot about Becca Moros and Mandy Laddish or Carson Pickett and Mackenzie Arnold; just no-drama couples who love each other and soccer.
12. Masar and McLeod divorce.
The OGs get divorced. Out and married before it was fashionable, they announced their separation and divorce this year – and both found new love. Masar’s with Babett Peter and McLeod’s with Gunny Jonsdottir. I take a special delight in this for the haters who claimed Masar’s bisexuality meant she would never date a woman again. Wrong.
13. Emma Kete and Jodie Taylor are married nbd.
Emma Kete (NZWNT) and Jodie Taylor (EWNT, Reign) were known to be a couple. Leading up to the World Cup however (in which each appeared for their country), Kete let it slip in an Instagram post that they’ve actually been married for awhile as well.
14. Tameka Butt and Kirsty Yallop get married.
Of Australia and New Zealand’s national teams respectively, they got married in February 2019. And Butt promptly changed her name to Yallop, which, understood.
15. Tierna Davidson holds the gay future of the USWNT in her hands.
Davidson is our only known baby gay. She’s adorably here and queer. From rainbow suspenders to sweet photos with her girlfriend, she’s the hero we need in these dark times as our OG gays retire.
16. Kerr lays it all out there.
Sam Kerr had a big year; some good, some bad (let’s not talk about that PK). The best part for us, however, was when she was featured in Nike’s spot “Birthplace of Dreams.” She talks movingly about a serious injury she experienced and how when it happened, all she wanted to do is “be with Nikki.” She had perhaps the biggest spotlight in women’s soccer on her, with many doubting her, but it’s clear she only needs one person to believe in her: Nikki Stanton. The cutest pet foster moms and Sky Blue’s greatest ever production.
17. Kristen Hamilton and Abby Erceg realize everyone else is being super gay; say “Fuck it” and start being super gay too.
I can’t imagine it’s easy to be in a relationship with your teammate when one of your other teammates is Jaelene Hinkle. Yet somehow Hamilton and Erceg keep it professional. Hamilton had a breakout year in the NWSL with the USWNT players away, and Erceg was there to encourage her (and post sweet photos of them together) every step of the way. Now Hamilton’s tearing it up in the W-League. Oh yeah, and their evil empire won their second consecutive NWSL championship. Come ON Sacramento and Louisville! Let’s shake stuff up!
I didn’t do a good job of ordering these but most of my favorites are here. It’s been a gloriously gay long year.
This comment thread just gets better and better. I was going to add a few (mainly aussie ones) but I didn’t have to because you have! Thank you!
Please write a permanent soccer gossip column in this here website thingy
Omg it’s literally my dream. I also have a “If women’s soccer players were characters from the L Word” article.
YES. I would read the shit out of a women’s soccer (or women’s sports in general) column. I feel like there was one at some point? Or maybe it’s a sometimes thing, like during the Olympics. Which is coming up next summer so HEY PERFECT TIMING.
@Ella, love the Aussies, could never forget them. They’re like 5x gayer than the USWNT. This didn’t even include Logarzo getting together with Berryhill, KK and Gregorius (appears to be a thing), or the endless Kennedy-Simon and Raso-McCormick are they or aren’t theys.
much love!
And then there’s the W-League or “which American will leave Australia with an Aussie girlfriend” season which is always a lot of fun. I’m based in Melbourne so I get two teams worth.
That’s awesome, so jealous! Yes, I was so grateful y’all sent Carson Pickett back with a gf! We can watch some of the games on ESPN+ but not all unfortunately.