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!
Rebekah & Lydia
New York, New York
Rebekah Burford, 24, Law Student
Lydia Guterman, 27, Public Health Consultant
How they met is a matter of debate. Rebekah swears it was at a Pride event, but Lydia doesn’t remember that, and claims they met at a Safe Zone training program. The date and location of their first kiss is also matter of contention. Here’s what the happy couple can agree on: their mutual love of Marc Jacobs, shiny things, cooking, gardening, recycling, celebrity gossip, BBQ from their home state of North Carolina, politics and parenting their five-pound Chihuahua. Their key to a healthy relationship is knowing when to spend time apart. “Growing as individuals and cultivating separate interests helps us appreciate our time together and keeps us from losing ourselves.” When they’re not together, Lydia works internationally in HIV and overdose prevention, while Rebekah is finishing up her law degree. “We are a positive example of a young, driven and diverse couple committed both personally and professionally to affecting positive change.”
