America’s Most Captivating Couples 2007
Daria “Deno” Orechwa
27, Graduate Student/Youth Services Counselor
Ingrid “Inno” Dahl
26, Rock Musician/Editor/GO Writer/Founding Member of the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls
San Francisco, CA & Jersey City, NJ
Deno and Inno met at Rutgers University in (year). Today, Deno is a graduate student at San Francisco State, and assists queer teens at the Huckleberry House shelter. Her goal is to open a queer community center someday with its own thrift store. At the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls, Inno also works with teens—managing their bands and teaching them to play different instruments. In addition, she’s a writer for GO and plays in the groups Boyskout, The 303s, and Lismore. This couple, who say they “like to make out and lay on each other everywhere we go,” are currently in a long-distance relationship. What keeps it on track? “Teamwork; consideration; independence; admiration; text messages; imaginary scenarios; missing one another; extreme cuteness; generosity; and phenomenal sex.”
It was difficult to narrow down the entries, but we finally did it–and the result is the year’s most captivating couples! Ranging from a historic preservationist to a superhero to a TV talk show host (times two), it’s great to see so many proud women, not just in love, but spreading that love around and making the world a brighter place. Their stories inspired us, and we know they’ll inspire you, too. Say hello to this year’s sweethearts.
ROSIE & KELLI
Rosie O’Donnell
44, Co-Host of The View
Kelli O’Donnell
38, Co-Founder of R Family Vacations
Nyack, NY
Rosie and Kelli met in 1998 through Rosie’s brother Daniel. They’ve since adopted a kid together; had one; got married in San Francisco; dealt with the ending of Rosie’s popular talk show and magazine, which led to a lawsuit; founded R Family Vacations, a travel company catering to LGBT families; and most recently, put up with Donald Trump’s disparaging comments about their relationship. How do they handle it all? “We have date nights in the city,” Rosie told the Advocate recently. “We have a one-bedroom apartment in the city. We’ll spend a day or two every two weeks or so. Believe me—four children, it’s hard. You have to work to keep your relationship vibrant and alive.” These two don’t just deserve to be called a captivating couple—they deserve a TV movie!
