The Rainbow Warrior has taken a bride.
Last weekend, retired Washington Spirit soccer star and LGBTQ advocate Joanna Lohman married her fiancée Melodie George, a senior manager with the United States Chamber of Commerce.
True to form, Lohman celebrated her nuptials in a white suit from The Tailory NYC and “formal Johawk” hairstyle with two stripes along the side.
George, meanwhile, walked the aisle in a dress from Rue de Seine.
Lohman and George announced their engagement at the end of January 2020. As you might recall, a few unfortunate world events happened in the following months.
Thankfully, as their wedding photos demonstrated, the wait enabled the couple to share their special moment with a room full with approximately 60 guests to witness it.
And, as Lohman revealed, one “badass belly dancer!”
The couple’s wedding took place at the Officina Restaurant on the Wharf in Washington, DC— the same city where Lohman became the first player to have her number retired by the Spirit.
The journey to her big day featured several twists and turns. As Lohman related to Outsports contributor Katelyn Best in a 2018 profile, she perceived herself as straight for the first part of her life and even became engaged to a man at age 21.
However, in one of the best metaphors we’ve ever come across, she remembered, “I always say I got hit by the gay stick and came flying out of the closet.”
After a career that mixed soccer and activism through three different professional leagues and numerous teams from the US to Sweden to Spain, she eventually flew into George’s arms.
Looking back on their special moment, Lohman reflected to Outsports:
“Melodie and I were so thrilled to get married in front of friends and family, surrounded by love and support. As we walked down the aisle, hands raised in triumph, we both felt a deep sense of gratitude knowing that our LGBTQ+ community fought hard for the right to legally experience these exact moments.”
Lohman played a prominent role in that fight. And it’s wonderful to see her and George enjoy the rewards and celebrate their love together.
