Research

My current project is an interdisciplinary book about the queer women-led organized fan groups that form around professional women’s soccer teams in the United States. Following the US women’s national team victory at the 1999 World Cup, fans showed up for leagues and franchises that started up and disappeared, supported players who struggled to carve out a living, and endured a series of player abuse scandals. As recently as 2019, the NWSL faced existential financial questions, but the league’s latest expansion team commanded fees in excess of $200 million and a $240 million media rights deal came online in 2024. Yet, as women’s professional soccer grows financially there is a possibility that the stories of the people who sustained it for the past two decades will be lost. My research seeks to counter maneuvers to marginalize these stories. At the core of the sport’s fanbase were and continue to be queer women who found community in stadiums. At the center of this fandom, are the independent fan groups for each team that collectively perform an uninterrupted repertoire of choreography that loudly celebrate their team at every match. “Pleasurable Labors” is their story.