Love will always win: 5 long-time LGBTQ+ couples whose relationships continue to grow
Building a relationship with someone takes a lot of work, patience, and of course, love. On top of issues that couples face, LGBTQ+ partners face other struggles such as coming out and acceptance.
Despite these, there are queer couples that have endured what the world has to throw at them, keeping their passion for each other growing day by day. Here are some long-time LGBTQ+ couples that unashamedly share their blossoming love in the sun for all the world to see and a glimpse at their love stories.
Angie and Joey Mead King
Car enthusiast Angie King and model-slash-host Joey Mead started dating in 2006, back when King identified as Ian. They were married in 2011 and a couple of years into their relationship, the then-husband transitioned.
In a 2021 vlog, they talked about the ups and downs of Angie's transition around 2012. Joey recalled how "detrimental" it was for her wife's mental health whenever she had to take off the makeup and transform back into Ian again whenever they were in the Philippines.
When asked about why Joey stayed with her wife, she said, "Hello? Why would I not want to stay with an individual who encourages freedom, who loves me unconditionally, and when you say unconditional, it's not like anything you do will be acceptable."
"It's not anything you do will be acceptable. I will accept you for all the flaws, for all the bad things and love you regardless of that," the model added. "When you find an individual as accepting as that, you hang on to them."
Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black
In 2013, Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley met screenwriter Dustin Lance Black at a dinner in Los Angeles with the swimmer saying it was "a real love-at-first-sight thing." The second time they met, the pair went out for their first date on Daley's 19th birthday—they also made their relationship official that night, too.
Two years later, the couple proposed to each other and got married in 2017. They welcomed their son Robbie in 2018 via surrogacy.
Samira Wiley and Lauren Morelli
Actress Samira Wiley met TV writer Lauren Morelli in 2012 on the set of Netflix hit series Orange Is the New Black. The two got close when Morelli, who was married to a man at the time, was writing scenes for Wiley's character Poussey.
The writer realized she was gay while working on OITNB. Wiley, who was just her friend at the time, helped her work through her feelings about her sexuality. She filed for divorce from her husband in 2014 and started dating Wiley.
In an interview with Vulture, Morelli said she never felt like she belonged until she had been with the actress, who she married in 2017.
"It just shifted my perception of where I belong, and once I belonged to her, it suddenly felt like I was able to take up more space," she said.
In 2021, they welcomed their daughter, George Elizabeth. Wiley is always sharing the most adorable photos of their family on Instagram.
Boy Abunda and Bong Quintana
The "King of Talk" Boy Abunda has been with his partner Bong Quintana for more than 35 years now, and in that over three decades, the two went through ups and downs together.
The couple hid their relationship from Quintana's family in the beginning, but when Abunda had dinner with his partner's family, Quintana's father was actually a fan.
"Ang dami kong kasalanan kay Bong...Humingi ako ng tawad sa making partner because I am imperfect, just as he is imperfect," the host admitted on his talk show. "Ang alam ko lamang, my love—our love for each other, is bigger than any sin. Patuloy kaming magpapatawaran."
Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka
In 2004, Neil Patrick Harris hung out with David Burtka for the first time at an American Idol viewing party, with the How I Met Your Mother actor saying he couldn't take his eyes off his future partner.
Burtka actually had a long-distance boyfriend at the time but eventually broke it off. He started seeing Harris and they became inseparable.
They first got engaged in 2007 when Burtka took Harris to the street corner where they first met, then they popped the question again a year later. However, it took them five years to actually get married when New York passed the Marriage Equality Bill.
When the couple celebrated their anniversary in 2020, Harris penned a sweet message on Instagram for his husband.
"Perhaps the happiest day of my life. Since then, thousands of memories. No regrets. Thank you, David, for both creating and rocking my world. I am forever grateful," he wrote.