From society’s views to antiquated laws, LGBTQ couples simply have to overcome so much just to exist and thrive the way heterosexual couples so easily do in the spotlight. Celebrities especially face a specific set of challenges, as famous couples get tried in the court of public opinion for the smallest mistakes.
Then these LGBTQ celeb couples come along and show us that there’s hope for everyone who doesn’t fit the narrow mold of opposite-sex attraction. These couples have achieved in areas from music to fashion to the film industry, and even in those pressured situations, they have still found a love that can last, and serve as an example for the rest of us. This list celebrates all these lovers and gives credit to their relationships that survived against all odds, showing the next generation that love wins.
Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor
They started as friends and then something grew. Many people don’t understand age gaps between gay couples, but it’s always been socially acceptable for men to date and marry much younger women. In this case, these two amazing ladies don’t really care what people think. There’s a 32-year age gap between Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor, but after four years together, there’s clearly plenty of common ground.
Not only are they defying expectations with their age gap, but their relationship progressed on social media! Paulson stated that the two were following each other on social media, as they knew each other, but not very well. Then Holland took the opportunity to slide into Paulson’s DM’s and the rest is history! The “American Horror Story” actress says she’s never been happier.
Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka
These two give everyone all the feels! It’s so clear that they absolutely adore each other. They met by chance through a mutual friend way back in 2004. At the time, Burtka was trying to make a long-distance romance work and Harris was simply happy being single.
When Burtka’s relationship broke down, they decided to go on one date and have been pretty much inseparable ever since. Burtka even moved to Los Angeles when Harris was filming the hit show “How I Met Your Mother”. The Marriage Equality Bill changed everything for them when it was passed in New York in 2011. They had already been engaged privately but now they wanted to shout it from the rooftops. They were wed in 2014 and are raising two absolutely gorgeous kids together.
Samira Wiley and Lauren Morelli
Emmy-award-winning Wiley and Morelli are pictured here posing for a cute Insta shot. The ladies announced their engagement publicly in October 2016.
Five months later they had their wedding celebration in the picturesque Palm Springs, California. Both ladies donned white for the occasion and more than a dozen pounds of colorful confetti rained down on them. They chose Italy for their honeymoon as they thought it would be the most romantic place to celebrate their union.
Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner
Longevity isn’t a word often mentioned when describing Hollywood couples, but this pair has beaten all the odds. Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner met a staggering 48 years ago when Tomlin was making her comedy album. Nothing has torn them apart since. Time Magazine said that they would give them a cover in 1975 if they agreed to come out, but both rejected the deal, particularly as the public opinion of homosexuality was very negative at the time.
The two are not just partners in life, but they have also written together and have pieces such as the Tony Award-winning show, “The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe” under their belts. They’ve worked on two Grammy-nominated albums “Modern Scream” and “On Stage”, so so it’s clear that their talent is enhanced by the other. They got married on New Year’s Eve 2013, to see in the historic year of 2014 together. They are also honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame by a star that has both their names, so inseparable are they.
Zachary Quinto and Miles McMillan
Zachary Quinto is famous for his role as Spock in “Star Trek” and in the television series “Heroes”. He has also been openly gay in Hollywood and dated several other well-known men, such as Jonathan Groff. It was Miles McMillan that stole his eye in 2013 though. Model and artist Miles has graced campaigns for DKNY and Giorgio Armani and was named “Model of the Year” in 2016.
They certainly look sharp together. They confirmed their relationship via Instagram in 2014 and could often be seen out walking their dogs around New York where they have an apartment together. Sadly, these two parted after six years in 2019 but as it was an amicable split, fans remain hopeful that they can rekindle their spark in the future.
Jodie Foster and Alexandra Hedison
For years there was speculation about Jodie Foster’s sexuality and negative attention that she handled with aplomb. The Academy Award-winning actress and director preferred to focus on her work and keep her personal life private. She is known for films such as “The Accused” and “Sommersby”. So, who is the woman in her life?
Alexandra Hedison is also a director and actress, having had roles in “Nash Bridges” and “The L Word”. However, it is her fine art photography that she is celebrated for. Her work is displayed the world over, from galleries in Portugal and France to New York. She previously dated Ellen DeGeneres but met Jodie Foster in 2013. It was clearly a strong bond from the beginning, as the pair married in April 2014, away from the prying eyes of the mainstream media.
George Takei and Brad Altman
A pair of trekkies who found eternal love? It seems like a film script in the making. Takei is known for playing “Sulu” in the “Star Trek” series and is a huge fan favorite. He is also a big proponent of LGBTQ rights and has spoken out on Trump’s immigration policies. Brad Altman is one of the writers on “Star Trek” but they didn’t meet properly until Takei needed help training for a marathon.
Although neither shied away from the fact that they were in a relationship, it wasn’t until 2005 that Takei came out and acknowledged publicly that he’d been with Altman for 18 years. He had openly been part of LGBTQ support groups but no one thought to ask. Three years later, Altman and Takei were wed, becoming the very first same-sex couple to apply for a marriage license in West Hollywood. In 2009, they appeared on “The Newlywed Game” as the first openly gay couple and subsequently won the $10,000 prize for their chosen charity – The Japanese American Museum.
Lance Bass and Michael Turchin
Former N’Sync boyband member Lance Bass and actor Michael Turchin are totally crazy in love. They met in 2011 and it seemed like a match made in heaven from the start. Bass is also a qualified cosmonaut and Michael paints, so these two could definitely have enough going on to star in their own reality show. Any takers?
Oh, that’s right, they’ve already featured on reality TV! The ceremonial event was filmed and televised in a special E! presentation: Lance Loves Michael: The Lance Bass Wedding that aired on February 5, 2015.The pair decided to cement their love with a huge wedding party in December 2014. Practically all of Bass’ former bandmates came along as did many relatives and friends. The whole event was filmed by E! And “Lance Loves Michael:The Lance Bass Wedding” aired on 5th February 2015.This was a groundbreaking event as it was the first time a same-sex couple had exchanged vows on cable. The couple revealed earlier this year that they are hoping to extend their family by surrogacy.
Sir Elton John and David Furnish
There can hardly be a couple more famous than this? But how many people know the details of how they met? Elton John had moved back to the U.K.. and had been sober for a few years. He realized that he needed to expand his social circle and asked friends to bring some people over to his for a dinner party. One of those people was David Furnish, who went along thinking he would be attending an evening but did it for a friend.
What actually happened was that the Canadian filmmaker and former advertising executive and the host, Elton John, hit it off. They ended up meeting again the following evening and ordering take-out. 12 years later, Elton popped the question, and Furnish had no problem saying yes. The very first day civil partnerships were allowed in the U.K., they became official. They had two sons shortly after, both by a surrogate. In 2014, they were married on the ninth anniversary of their civil partnership. What a life and love these two share.
Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black
One is an Olympic medalist, the other an Oscar award-winning screenwriter. Obviously, there’s a shortage of shelf space for awards in this house. However, when the pair met at a dinner party in 2013, Dustin Lance Black had no idea who Tom Daley was. He just thought he was very sweet!
British diver Daley and writer of the films “Milk” and “J.Edgar”, Black were married in May 2017. Some photos were made public but not much is known apart from the fact that the wedding was in Devon in the spectacular English countryside. The pair had their first child in June 2018 and it’s clear the little boy is very lucky indeed.
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi
Ellen Degeneres began her wildly successful career as a stand-up comedian. She was the star of “Ellen” from 1994 – 1998, which was a sitcom, but has since gone on to host one of the most popular talk shows of all time – “The Ellen Degeneres Show”. The funny lady has hosted the Oscars, the Grammy Awards, and the Primetime Emmy Awards. She keeps pretty busy. She also dated Anne Heche and Alexandra Hedison before she met her one and only true love.
Actress Portia de Rossi is also known for being funny, and she won a Screen Actors Guild Award for her role in the TV show “Arrested Development”. The two met at a party in 2000, but Portia initially kept her feelings quiet as she wasn’t out of the closet yet. It took about three years for the two to start dating but they quickly build a life together. They were married in August 2008 in front of family and close friends at their Beverly Hills home. They love animals, travel and are widely outspoken in their support for LGBTQ causes.
Ellen Page and Emma Portner
Modern-day romance comes to life with these two. Emma Portner, a professional dancer, and choreographer checked her Instagram account one day and was surprised to find a message from “Juno” actress, Ellen Page. She was flattered and thought it would be no harm to message back, not expecting anything to come of it. Yet, it was the beginning of a beautiful celebrity couple.
Although the couple never declared their relationship, they were spotted out in public together on many occasions. Then, Page took to Instagram to announce the couple had been married. A simple ceremony took place in the woods with the pair dressed casually in jeans and tennis shoes. Close-up photos of the wedding rings showed that they had tied the knot. May they love and live happily ever after.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita
These two are completely adorable and it seems they’ve found true love. However, they had to go through a lot of obstacles on the way to finding happiness. Jesse Ferguson and Justin Mikita have been married for six years, which is a lifetime in showbiz terms.
Jesse Ferguson has won awards for his work on Broadway but he is most well-known for his role as Mitchell in “Modern Family”. He has explained that his family took some time to come to terms with his homosexuality with his father refusing to accept it for years. Justin Mikita started out as an actor but found his calling in law. Mikita was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 12 and spent two years in and out of hospital undergoing chemotherapy. At one point his parents even began preparing for the worst. However, Mikita has now been cancer-free for two decades. The pair co-own Tie the Knot, a non-profit foundation advocates for marriage equality and civil rights for the LGBTQ community.
Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird
Although these two both live in Seattle, they didn’t actually meet until the Olympics in Rio. After that soccer-star-Rapinoe used the ease of social media to keep in touch, and the rest is history.
Both are passionate about social causes and equal pay for female athletes. After three years, their relationship is going strong as ever.
Kendrell Bowman and Anthony Wayne
Kendrell Bowman and Anthony Wayne were both looking for friends in the Big Apple when they moved to New York. Bowman hails from South Carolina while Wayne is from Virginia and they began chatting on a gay website. As they got to know each other, they thought it was time to meet in the real world so Anthony invited Kendrell to watch him play an amateur softball game. Apparently, he was too nervous to hit the ball properly but he still hit a home run to Bowman’s heart. Awww.
Only one year after they got together, they started working on their own Off-Broadway show “Mighty Real: A Fabulous Sylvester Musical”. Mounting a major show in New York is no mean feat and they are supporting each other through rehearsals, fundraisers, and everything else that goes with a project of this size. Here’s wishing them every success!
Miles Brock and Milan Christopher
This couple was seen to be total game changers when their relationship came to light. They started out as friends and even as their relationship changed to something more serious, Brock was still not out of the closet. Eventually, he came out, on the television program “Love & Hip Hop:Hollywood” and although it shocked many viewers, it changed many people’s minds and expectations about rappers.
Both musicians have pretty strong personalities and they served as a powerful inspiration for gay people in the rap industry. They released a single called “When I Go,” which talks about the bullying of LGBTQ young people. They also appeared on television shows such as “Nip/Tuck” and “The Wendy Williams Show”. Milan Christopher appeared alongside other stars such as The Game, Ne-Yo, and Kanye West. Sadly, the relationship was short-lived but the message that their pairing served was strong.
Adam Lambert and Sauli Koskinen
These two make such a gorgeous pair that it’s not really surprising they were attracted to each other. Finnish Big Brother winner Sauli Koskinen crossed paths with Adam Lambert at a nightclub in Helsinki in November 2010. After being spotted together in both Paris and Los Angeles the two admitted they were in a relationship together.
Koskinen hasn’t achieved fame outside his home country, but he is a popular TV host and entertainment reporter on Fox Finland. Adam Lambert has achieved fame worldwide, singing with Queen and selling three million albums of his own. The couple dated for three years but their hectic schedule didn’t allow much time together and eventually, they decided to call it quits.
Tom Ford and Richard Buckley
A fashionable power couple, these two have been a force for good since they met more than 30 years ago. Tom Ford was smitten with Buckley from the beginning, he has said how it only took one elevator ride together to make him fall in love.
Tom Ford is a man of many talents. He brought success to brands such as Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci when he worked as Creative Director and then decided to start his own fashion brand, worn by every Oscar winner on the red carpet since. He has also tried his hand at directing, the results of which were the critically-acclaimed films “A Single Man” and “Nocturnal Animals”. Buckley is a journalist and has contributed to some of the biggest fashion bibles. He was also editor-in-chief of Vogue Hommes International for six years until 2005. The fashion is on point with these two.
Amber Heard and Tasya van Ree
Amber Heard is more famously known as Johnny Depp’s ex-wife, although the actress and model has had relationships with both men and women. She states that she does not identify as bisexual but merely falls in love with a person. A person that she had a strong love for was artist and photographer Tasya van Ree who she began dating in 2008.
The pair had a tumultuous relationship but seemed very passionate about each other. Their relationship ended in 2012, but they are still spotted out in each other’s company from time to time and van Ree has described Heard as her main muse. They clearly still respect each other and value their friendship and that is a positive inspiration for couples everywhere.
Kate McKinnon and Jackie Abbott
Although you’ll rarely see either of these caught posing for the camera, they are both electric when in front of it. Kate McKinnon is known for her brilliant impressions on “Saturday Night Live” and even possesses an Emmy for her humorous work. She’s also acted in a number of movie roles including “Ghostbusters” and “Rough Night”.
Jackie Abbott, while not quite as famous as McKinnon, is also an actress who has starred in several short films and has writing credits to her name. She also lists “clowning” as one of her skills. The pair like to keep out of the spotlight – neither has a social media account, but their relationship was outed when Michelle Visage posted a pic of them together during RuPaul’s drag race.
Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne
Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allyne met on the set of the film “In a World…”. Although the film didn’t set many hearts alight, it certainly sparked something between these two ladies, indeed something Allyne had never felt before. She had only dated men to that point and said that she didn’t even realize she was falling in love with Notaro.
Comic Notaro felt the same way. Two years after they met, they got engaged on New Year’s Day and were wed later in the year. They used a surrogate to conceive twin boys, who were born in 2016. These two are proof that real love is out there for everyone, even when you aren’t looking for it.
Sara Gilbert and Linda Perry
Another talented paid actress Sara Gilbert and singer-songwriter Linda Perry don’t care what people say about their ten-year age gap. They met in 2011 and started a relationship, both aware of the pitfalls of fame.
Sara Gilbert played Darlene on the hit sitcom “Roseanne” and went on to appear in several films and TV roles, eventually landing a presenting gig on “The Talk”. Perry was the lead singer of rock group 4 Non Blondes, famous for their hit “What’s Going On?”. She has won awards for her songwriting and now prefers to be behind the scenes, writing for artists such as P!nk, Gwen Stefani, and Christina Aquilera. Gilbert and Perry were married in 2014 and had their son, Rhodes, a year later.
Melissa Etheridge and Linda Wallem
These two build a strong foundation with their friendship, never expecting what came next. Melissa Etheridge had been married before and was an activist for gay rights. When another relationship ended and she had four children to bring up, she turned to her close friend Linda Wallem for help.
Etheridge credits Wallem with many things, primarily helping her with the children but then she saw her in a whole new light. The feeling was mutual and the two were happy to announce their relationship to the world. In 2014, Etheridge and Wallen were married at San Ysidro Ranch in California.
Colton Haynes and Jeff Leatham
In another case where friendship brings benefits, Colton Haynes and Jeff Leathem were set up on a date by a mutual friend. “Teen Wolf” star Haynes admitted that he had done a little bit of stalking on the internet before he met Leathem. He said he was nervous about making a good impression and wanted to know more about the man he was meeting. Not unusual, right?
Florist Leatham is known for his amazing designs that have graced famous residences across the globe. His career has taken him to Paris, Philadelphia, Beverly Hills, and Los Angeles. Leathem and Haynes were so in love that they decided to get married in 2017. Unfortunately, it didn’t last and it’s thought that the crazy work lives they both lead got in the way and they filed for divorce this year.
Raven-Symone Pearman and AzMarie Livingston
Huge ’90s star Raven-Symone raised a few eyebrows when she came out on “Oprah” in 2014, stating that she liked both men and women. The Disney Channel star has managed to keep her life quite private so fans were completely in the dark about her sexuality. When Pearman met Next Top Model star and actress, AzMarie Livingston though, she wasn’t able to keep her mouth shut!
Livingston and Pearman had allegedly been sharing a home since 2012, but no one can confirm this. Raven-Symone also admitted that she loved binge-watching “Empire”, the show that Livingston was part of. How sweet. Unfortunately, it seems that the couple broke up in 2015 as they haven’t been seen together since.
Cara Delevingne and Ashley Benson
Model and actress Cara Delevigne is constantly followed around by paparazzi and fans are eager to know what is going on in her life. She tries to keep everything on the down-low, particularly about her personal relationships. Recently she has opened up about how happy she is with fellow actress Ashley Benson. Benson probably understands what Delevigne has to deal with, having starred on “Pretty Little Liars” for several years now.
Although Delevigne has dated other successful people in music and acting, she reveals that she usually pushes people away because she finds it hard to trust them. However, she felt sure of Benson in a way that she hadn’t before. Benson also likes to live her life out of the public eye, so unlike other starlets, these two aren’t all over each other’s Insta accounts. There’s no denying how cute they are though.
Kristen Stewart and Stella Maxwell
Rumors about these two have been circulating since 2016, but actress Kristen Stewart and Victoria’s Secret model Stella Maxwell have remained tight-lipped on the status of their relationship over the past few years. Sources close to the pair suggest that they moved in together after only a few months of dating but Stella definitely still has her own pad in New York.
Perhaps that’s a wise move, given that they seem to be on again and off again. Who really knows though? The fact is, they keep coming back to each other and if that doesn’t smack of true love, then what does?
Miley Cyrus and Kaitlynn Carter
Singer Miley Cyrus always keeps fans guessing when it comes to her tumultuous life. When she married Liam Hemsworth, everyone thought it was finally happy-ever-after but it seems like Kaitlynn Carter might have come in like a wrecking ball to that relationship. Former star of “The Hills” and ex-flame of Brody Jenner, Carter seems to have won the heart of Miley Cyrus earlier this year.
Hemsworth says he was pretty hurt by photos of Carter and Cyrus popping up on social media together. Is it just us or does Carter look like a Miley mini-me in this shot? It seems the pair have already moved in together and are absolutely inseparable.
Nico Tortorella and Bethany C. Meyers
Nico Tortorella and Bethany C. Meyers met in 2006 when they were both in college and they have been together ever since. Neither person is particularly into labels but they describe their own relationship as queer polyamorous. Meyers identifies as gay and Tortorella says they are gender fluid and pansexual.
Their relationship is certainly less than conventional but they certainly seem unbreakable. Tortorella is an actor, known for “The Following” and “Younger”. Meyers is a fitness and lifestyle entrepreneur. They gave a TED talk on empowerment and body neutrality in December 2018.
RuPaul and Georges LeBar
RuPaul met Australian painter Georges LeBar at Limelight, a New York City nightclub all the way back in 1994. Of course, Ru Paul is the most well-known drag queen in the world, with a hit show and a music career to boot but partner George prefers to stay out of the bright lights and keep the home fires burning.
After 23 years together RuPaul and LeBar tied the knot in January 2017. It was both their anniversary and LeBar’s birthday. The couple is in an open relationship, as RuPaul spends most of his time in New York while LeBar owns a massive ranch in Wyoming where he hangs.
Cheyenne Jackson and Jason Landau
For these two, it was practically love at first sight, however not the way people would expect. They got together in 2013 after meeting in alcohol rehabilitation and they were engaged less than six months later. “Glee” and “American Horror Story” star Cheyenne Jackson wed entrepreneur Jason Landau in February 2014. They had an interfaith ceremony in front of 200 family and friends.
It seems that the two are a positive influence in each other’s lives. They have since welcomed twins, a boy, Ethan, and a girl, Willow into their home. They love being Dad’s, even though they have said that they are more tired than they ever imagined possible. Doesn’t that make your heart melt?
Gary Janetti and Brad Goreski
These pair are an absolute power couple behind the showbiz scenes. Brad Goreski is a celebrity stylist for years, dressing everyone from Demi Moor to Jessica Alba. He knows exactly where they got ‘that dress’! His partner, Gary Janetti is a TV producer who has been instrumental behind the scenes on Will & Grace, Family Guy, and many more. These two are the real Hollywood deal.
They met in Janetti and Goreski in Athens, Greece in 2001 but took their time getting engaged, even though they knew they were meant to be. They got married on a luxury cruise ship in the Caribbean around Christmas 2017. They have two homes, one in New York and the other in Los Angeles and they’ve also got a gorgeous doggy, Penelope. Couple goals indeed.
Luke Evans and Victor Turpin
Many of the couples on this list go to great lengths to hide their love lives from the prying eyes of the press, and that’s fair enough. It can be hard enough to make a relationship work without the added glare of the spotlight. ‘Fast and the Furious 7’ actor Luke Evans is obviously aware of this as he is at great pains to keep his love life quiet.
He has been quite open about being gay since the early 2000s but never discloses who he is dating. Photos surfaced in 2018 of him out and about with Colombian-American actor Victor Turpin and the rumor mill went into overdrive. More recently, Turpin has posted some pics on his own social media that seem to confirm that the pair are involved.
Ryan Murphy and David Miller
“Glee” and “American Horror Story” creator Ryan Murphy and professional photographer David Miller were friends for over a decade before they started dating. They got married in July 2012 and it was only five months later that Logan Phineas came into the world, causing thousands of cutesy comments on the couple’s Insta.
Two years later, Murphy and Miller added to their crew when second son, Ford arrived. Unfortunately in 2016, Ford was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer but he battled through surgery and treatment and has made an amazing recovery. Thankfully, all the Murphy-Miller family are in good health today.
Alan Cumming and Grant Shaffer
One of the longest-standing gay couples on this list, it seems these two just want to celebrate their love as much as possible. Scottish actor Alan Cumming and American artist Grant Shaffer dated for two years and then got married in Greenwich, London in 2007. Guests such as legendary actor Ian McKellen and Spice Girl Geri Haliwell attended.
However, one wedding simply wasn’t enough. The pair are residents of New York City so as soon as the law permitted, they decided to get married in America too. On their fifth wedding anniversary, they had a second wedding at the Soho Grand Hotel in New York. Cumming has stated that he’d like children but that life is simply too hectic at the moment. Suffice to say, they are really happy together too.