Queer stories of romance during Pride Season; the right to love whoever you choose to love
By: Mike Givens/TRT Assistant Editor—
It’s summertime and Pride season is in full swing. LGBTQ people across the state, nation, and the world are celebrating their identities and living their lives authentically. Two years out from a landmark Supreme Court decision guaranteeing marriage rights for same-sex couples, The Rainbow Times asked several people to share quirky stories of love, romance, and relationships in honor of a season where we celebrate the love of self and the love of others.
Digital love
I met my (now) fiancé officially through Facebook. However, before we ever met in person, she was my little brother’s friend who I [had] never met or seen because we lived in two different cities. I was a manager at a store at the time and my brother’s [friend] needed a job. I told her to come down and apply and I would interview her. She never came and about a year later, my brother tagged a girl on a Facebook post. I thought the girl was pretty, so I friended her. It turned out the girl I ended up adding was the girl I was supposed to hire a year prior, but had never showed up. I met her in person on February 22, 2013, and we have legit been together every day ever since.
May the odds be ever in your favor
I was home from college and my friend Jacob took me to a hookah lounge he used to frequent. I had just ended things with a guy I had been seeing, and was looking forward to the night out. Jacob had a crush on a waitress named Brooke and introduced us. After she walked away he turns to me and goes, “I’d do anything to take her out” to which I replied, “Jacob, I love you, but I have a better chance with her than you do.” Little did we know she actually was gay and proceeded to ask me out that night. We dated for a year afterwards.
A Facebook frolic
My boyfriend and I, as proper millennials, met on Facebook back in 2013. He approached me, finding my profile through my best friend’s Facebook page. He was dating my best friend’s roommate, was creeping around Facebook, thought I was cute, and randomly added me as a friend. I remember seeing the little red notification that I had a friend request and the thrill of seeing that a cutie had added me. Immediately upon accepting the request, he started Facebook chatting me. We chatted for a few hours about our favorite music and more. We almost met up immediately for a hook up. However, we decided we wanted to wait to see each other until the next day for a proper date. Been together ever since!
Hospital hangout
I met my partner while we were both working in the same department at a hospital in Boston. I thought she was cute, but wasn’t sure if she was queer. I would go out of my way to talk to her at work and get to know her. She finally asked me to hang out after work one day and every day after that, for the past four and a half years,we’ve been together.
Fox meets panda
From Fox
I went with my best friend to a BBQ for his softball team in one player’s backyard. Soon after, the host sent me a really cute message on OKCupid to connect and maybe go on a date. He didn’t remember me from the party, and I responded to him with, “I’ve been in your bathroom.” We still went on a date together—that started with cocktails and ended with a long walk through the city taking each other to our favorite buildings. At about 3 a.m., I kissed him goodnight. Three years later we’re married.
From Panda
I was looking at OKCupid when I saw a picture of a cute girl screaming at a topiary dinosaur. I sent her a message that was tailored to match up with the things she liked in her profile: podcasts, bowties, and Alison Bechdel. When she messaged me back she responded with this eerie message of, “I’ve been in your bathroom.” I had no recollection of who she was, but asked her out anyway. Our second date was a nighttime bike ride underneath the Zakim bridge and drinking wine from Nalgene bottles. Our wedding vows mentioned the creepy OkCupid message!
And they skied happily ever after
We met on The Welcoming Committee ski trip at Mount Snow in Vermont. A mutual friend introduced us because we were both training for the 2014 Boston Marathon. Ironically, we had been in the same circle of friends and both played in [the] Boston Women’s Flag Football League for about five years, but we didn’t meet each other until the timing was right. That ski day was rained out, which allowed us to spend the day chatting and discovering our shared love of food, especially sweet potato fries. Lesley was completely oblivious to Katie’s interest in her until we met on the dance floor at an 80s party later that night. We ended up talking the entire bus ride home the following day and haven’t gone a day without speaking since. We’ve been engaged since April 2016 and are getting married in September.
Two brides, two proposals …
Jules said yes …
On their first date, Sul took her to a sushi restaurant in Brookline for good conversation, delicious food and Sapporo beer. Months later, she found out just how much Jules hates beer. They talked all night long, and decided to extend the evening with a walk. A few blocks away, up a hill and a firsthand hold later they came across a local playground. Monkey bars, a few slides, giggles and learning more about each’s lives on the swings, they felt a spark of something wonderful. On their fourth year anniversary, Sul brought Jules back to this playground to recreate their first date and asked her to marry her with a candle and a ring.
Sul said yes …
One week later to celebrate their engagement, Jules took Sul on a surprise winter trip to their favorite getaway, P-town. They checked in at a local bed and breakfast and headed out for a holiday stroll down Commercial Street for dinner and champagne toast at the Lobster Pot. Next, it was over to the harbor for a special treat … P-town’s annual Lobster Pot holiday tree lighting ceremony, adorned with 112 real lobster traps, 120 red bows, 58 buoys and 46 plastic lobsters. At the end of the tree lighting, as families were dispersing, a guitarist walked through the crowd and over to Sul playing “Marry Me” by Train. After being serenaded, Jules asked Sul to marry her by twinkly lights with a ring.
A perfect match
In late summer, I started talking with a cool polyamorous woman on OkCupid. We chatted back and forth for a few weeks, and enjoyed the conversation enough to meet in person for a date. We met at a pizzeria about equidistant between us; when she first shook my hand, I felt an intense spark. We realized her fiance and my partner were romantically connected themselves through another partner! It seemed like everything revealed another commonality between us, most notably our shared affinity for bats! After we got tired of walking around the park area, we decided to sit on a bench. Once we sat down, I got too flustered to speak. I stammered that I was nervous, and she said, “It’s okay. I’m nervous too.” She asked if she could pet my hair. I whispered “yes.” Hair pets led to close cuddles, which I relished. I’m asexual (aka, “ace”), she’s demi sexual (she only experiences sexual attraction based on strong emotional attraction), so that was a perfect way to close the date. Afterward, we dated for about six weeks; it was a wonderful whirlwind!
