America’s Most Captivating Couples 2008
Newton, Massachusetts
Jennifer Chrisler, 37, Executive Director, Family Equality Council
Cheryl Jaques, 45, Lawyer, Brody, Hardoon, Perkins & Kesten
Jennifer and Cheryl met almost 15 years ago when Jennifer got involved in Cheryl’s campaign for state senate. They were friends for five years before they started dating. As the Executive Director of the Family Equality Council (formerly Family Pride), Jennifer fights for the rights of all loving families, regardless of blood relation or sexual orientation. In addition to being a lawyer, Cheryl is the former head of the Human Rights Campaign. They are the proud parents of two sons, Tom and Tim, age five. “We love spending time with our kids, playing checkers, go fish and Connect Four. For gown-up fun, we love going to estate sales to find treasures, and taking long walks together,” says Jennifer. Their secret: “We try to remember to attack our problems instead of each other. Whenever we face adversity in our lives, we remain focused on what we are trying to solve instead of getting angry with each other about the situation we’re in. It also helps to have a good sense of humor, and to laugh together often.”
The results are in! After a grueling selection process, we’ve skimmed the sweet cream off this year’s batch of entries and whipped it into GO’s most captivating couples of 2008. Many more couples coming soon!
Kate & Corinne
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Kate Gormley, Social Worker, Bethel House
Corinne Thornton, Social Worker, Einstein Medical Center
Kate and Corinne met at a Fuse monthly dance party. “I went up to flirt with her,” says Corinne, “but she totally blew me off. So when we were next introduced, I snubbed her.” They eventually connected at a local lesbian strip club, where one of Corinne’s friends fainted. “We had to call an ambulance,” Corinne recalls. “Kate was very sweet about the whole thing.” The secret to this couple’s success: “Keeping drama to a minimum.” They are active in Philly’s queer community, and work towards LGBT political and social advancement.
