Also.Also.Also: Ashlyn Harris Retires After 13 Years, Winning 2 World Cups, and Infinite Heartthrob Hall of Fame Status

Feature image of Ashlyn Harris, who retired last night at the United States Women’s National Team “Players’ Ball,” by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

I’m so tired that my eyes have started to do that thing where they cross a little at the bridge of my glasses. So let’s get straight gay to it, then!


Queer as in F*ck You

Former USWNT Goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris Retires After a 13-year senior career, which includes two World Cup championships (2015 and 2019) — not to mention an epic wedding and two very cute babies — Ashlyn Harris announced yesterday that she’s retiring. She had her wife Ali Krieger and her close friends Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird (click through the Instagram carousel above) by her side.”It has been my greatest honor to represent this country both on and off the field,” she said in her goodbye speech.

Harris actually played her last game with the USWNT back in 2020, 8-0 win over Haiti during CONCACAF Olympic qualifying. She also played in all 10 seasons of the NWSL since its inception, including time at Washington Spirit, Orlando Pride. She was named NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year in 2016. Along with her wife, Ashlyn Harris was traded to Gotham last December, but she made just eight appearances this season due to undergoing surgery on her right knee in September. Sending Ashlyn, Ali, and their very cute family so much love!

“There’s no magic bullet. Instead there are thousands of answers–at least. You can be one of them if you choose to be.” — Octavia Butler. I saw this reflection last week, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it: A Few Rules For Predicting The Future by Octavia E. Butler

THEN DO IT JOE, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR. (if you missed the news, last week Brittney Griner was officially transferred to Russian Penal colony, and we are still waiting on updates)


Saw This, Thought of You

Joan Didion in Your Living Room, Telling Stories

I do not support this title, but it’s an interesting read: Maybe Trump was right about TikTok

And on that social media beat, What Is Mastodon and Why Are People Leaving Twitter for It? (Plus you might wanna read A Goodbye Plan: 17 Queer Spaces Now That Twitter Is Maybe Ending)

Maybe you’ll think this isn’t news you’d expect to see on Autostraddle, but I sincerely believe that Magic Mike XXL is one of the greatest straight films ever made (and I’m not alone), so! Get ready, there’s gonna be a third one. We’re getting one last ride.

I hate this this country is like this, you know? Details on this week’s shooting at UVA


Political Snacks

Certainly the biggest political news is the Respect for Marriage Act, which will codify marriage rights and after being kicked down the road by the Democratic-led Congress for the last few years, looks to finally be getting shaped into a bill and was brought the Senate floor to set up a first procedural vote for tomorrow. Here’s where you can read more: Bipartisan Senate Group Says They Are ‘Confident’ They Have the Votes Necessary to Codify Same-Sex Marriage

And this is an unexpected twist, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has out in support! Mormon Church Says It Supports Same-Sex Marriage Law

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Carmen Phillips

Carmen Phillips is Autostraddle's former editor in chief. She began at Autostraddle in 2017 as a freelance team writer and worked her way up through the company, eventually becoming the EIC from 2021-2024. A Black Puerto Rican feminist writer with a PhD in American Studies from New York University, Carmen specializes in writing about Blackness, race, queerness, politics, culture, and the many ways we find community and connection with each other.  During her time at Autostraddle, Carmen focused on pop culture, TV and film reviews, criticism, interviews, and news analysis. She claims many past homes, but left the largest parts of her heart in Detroit, Brooklyn, and Buffalo, NY. And there were several years in her early 20s when she earnestly slept with a copy of James Baldwin’s “Fire Next Time” under her pillow. To reach out, you can find Carmen on Twitter, Instagram, or her website.

Carmen has written 716 articles for us.

8 Comments

  1. “Former USWNT Goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris Retires After a 13-year senior career, which includes two gold medals (2015 and 2016) — not to mention an epic wedding and a very cute baby — Ashlyn Harris announced yesterday that she’s retiring”

    She was part of two World Cup winners- 2015 and 2019- but “gold medal” usually refers to the Olympics, which they didn’t win in 2016.

  2. Please note the text for Magic Mike leads to the UVA link

    Also the two senators from Utah now become possible votes for Respect for Marriage- Romney and Lee are right in the mormon church’s pocket- so this removes a barrier

  3. GOP Sen I’m sure will vote Yay: Sen. Thom Tillis, Sen. Susan Collins, Sen. Rob Portman, Sen. Murkowski, Sen. Pat Toomey, Sen. Ron Johnson and
    with the Mormon church backing the bill, I expect Sen. Romney to vote for it which takes us to 7/10.

    The other three votes could come from the other Utah Senator, Mike Lee but he is super conservative so that would surprise me. Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville is a maybe. Sen. Richard Burr is from North Carolina which is becoming more purple every day so maybe he will vote for it. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito from West Virginia could also be a yes.

    I’m just holding my breath until the vote, I really hope we have a little more than 60 votes, give us a little breathing room.

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