Captivating Couples 2015
Phoenix, AZ
Gwen, 43, dental hygienist
Ronda, 47, corporate travel agent
"Seriously, our biggest challenge has been our timing," say Gwen and Ronda. "We have always known that we were meant for each other, but circumstances seemed to always keep us from having a relationship." They first met 17 years ago in Alaska, but were both with other people. Then they had a period when they were free, but didn´t want to mess up their friendship. "As the years went by, one of us was ready to commit and the other wasn´t, and it went back and forth like that for years… Thankfully, fate stepped in–we were reunited three years ago, and haven´t spent a moment (besides work) apart ever since," says Gwen. The thing that once kept them apart, their friendship, is now the thing that binds them together. And fate seems to be in their corner this time. Not only was same-sex marriage recently made legal in Arizona, but they also just won a contest to get a free dream wedding, courtesy of the Hotel Palomar in Phoenix! "I used to have a lot of regret about [the years spent apart]," says Gwen, "wishing we would have just been together from day one, but now, as I look back, it was so important for us to have our own life experiences first, so we could be ready to totally commit to the one."
All you need is love!
ANITA & SENKA
New York, NY
Anita, 30s, RN, MPA, oncology research nurse and editorinchief at dapperQ.com
Senka, 30s, MS, manager of institutional development at GMHC and contributor, Journalists for Animals
"Many people might conclude based on superficial assumptions that we are very different," say Anita (a/k/a Juanita) and Senka. "But we´re so similar in our likes and dislikes, values and beliefs. Our foundation is love and trust, but our shared likes and values make our relationship easy and a source of personal inspiration to reach our highest potentials." The two went on their first date five years ago and soon realized they were perfect for each other. One of their goals is helping to eradicate disease: As part of her job as an oncology research nurse, Anita is focused on finding a cure for cancer, while Senka works in institutional development for Gay Men´s Health Crisis. They also write about—and produce events supporting–queer and animal rights. (Anita is editor-in-chief of dapperQ, a fashion and lifestyle blog for butches, genderqueer folk and trans men and Senka is a contributor to the blog, Journalists for Animals.) For fun, they enjoy dancing, cliff diving and traveling to Fire Island, Santa Fe, St. Barts and Sarajevo. But these two self-confessed "nerds" also enjoy quiet evenings at home. Our ideal night is being curled up together next to our cats watching Neil deGrasse Tyson discuss multiverses on Cosmos."
