We are now in the time of year that we celebrate love, so I thought it would be good to sit down with 6 community couples and find out all about their love story. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Angel Burgos & David Jobin
How did you meet and how long have you been together?
We met online 15 years ago, and looking back, it’s hard to imagine life any other way.
When and how did you know this was it?
David: Our first date. Conversation flowed easily. Very similar interests. And he was so damn handsome.
Angel: I knew on day one. He was charming, good-looking, and won me over when he finished the food on my plate!
What’s the best thing about your partner?
David: I love the way he shows up in the world. Funny, smart, engaged. And cute.
Angel: David is wickedly bright and has a heart for his community. He’s a dedicated dog dad and, thankfully, he puts up with all my quirks.
Bobby Blair and Brian Neal
How did you meet and how long have you been together?
Bobby – Brian and I met for the first time at the Parliament House back bar in Orlando, Florida. Brian was 19, starting his life living with his grandmother. I was 34, acclimating to my life off the tennis courts and just getting into real estate and the home flipping business.
Brian – I took a walk to the Parliament House Orlando on a Thursday night. There was a bar with pool tables, and I sat down beside this person, and he was simply so nice. Every week I would look for him simply to talk because I felt extremely comfortable with him. I was 19 years old at the time. I simply felt great and wonderful being around him.
When and how did you know this was it?
Bobby – I just knew Brian was my partner given to me by God when I realized how much he loved his family. I knew he was capable of true love. How intently he looked at me in our conversations. In the early years I saw how he would always dream big like I do and could handle the ups and downs of dreaming big and going for it. Plus, he is absolutely beautiful. I love him incredibly.
Brian – I remember sitting at the Parliament House one afternoon before I went to work, and I saw this person jumping up and down with his friend. I was emotionally drained that day and I was watching this person smiling at me with so much happiness, and I knew it was Bobby. Bobby sent a friend over to check if it was really me. Bobby walked over and asked me to go to dinner and pick the restaurant. I reluctantly called off work and decided to go to dinner. I was super shy at dinner. I ordered a Grey Goose dirty martini with blue cheese olives. I had my head down the entire time while talking to Bobby. Then, I looked up and looked into his eyes. He was listening to me and had a smile on his face. I knew then at that moment that this was the person that I would spend the rest of my life with, it was magical.
What’s the best thing about your partner?
Bobby – Brian’s ability to live his best life in all seasons of life that come our way.
Brian – That’s a tough question because there are so many great things about him that I would consider the best. Well, the best thing about my partner is that Bobby loves life and has a passion to do what is right in his heart. He’s motivated and driven in the best way. He’s always supportive and he sticks by my side through literally everything. When the world throws negative energy my way, he always helps me see the bright side of things. He is simply a beautiful person inside and out.
Dr. Max and Lauren Zaslavsky
How did you meet and how long have you been together?
Lauren – We met through a friend, and we’ve been together for 12 years.
Max – I was dating her friend. Her friend broke up with me on Super Bowl Sunday. I had an extra ticket to see Justin Timberlake and wrote on Facebook does anyone want to go with me? She responded and the rest is history.
When and how did you know this was it?
Lauren – I pretty much knew right away. He is an amazing cook, funny sense of humor, intelligent, responsible and we enjoy traveling, experiencing new adventures and working out together. We compromise on our differences and we work hard together.
Max – Scott Holland (Yes, me) told me I can’t do any better. Come to think of it, a fair amount of friends said you better ask her to marry you.
What’s the best thing about your partner?
Lauren – He’s always making sure everyone in our family is healthy and anything we need he helps us with.
Max – I’ve come to admire her on how she’s such a remarkable mom. I never thought when I first met her, she would be the mom she is and she blows me away
Jameer Baptiste and Jorge Guevara
How did you meet and how long have you been together?
We met 2 years ago, out and about, in town.
When and how did you know this was it?
Jameer – When he said yes to kids
Jorge – When we had a conversation about the future and I knew that we had a lot of things in common to spend our lives together.
What’s the best thing about your partner?
Jameer – Everything; he’s understanding, caring and easygoing.
Jorge – The best thing about my partner is he always makes me feel special in different situations and he listen very well when something is important to me.
Rocco Carulli & Owen Bale
How did you meet and how long have you been together?
Owen: We met in Miami in 2011 when I was on a sabbatical from my law career in London and the rest is history! We got married in 2013 before marriage equality was federal, so we flew off to New York for a City Hall wedding. It felt like something out of a movie.
When and how did you know this was it?
Rocco: Honestly, from day one! We balance each other perfectly — different strengths, same values — and once we started our life and business together, it was clear we were in it for the long haul.
What’s the best thing about your partner?
Owen: Rocco is the heart and soul of our lives and of R House — whether it’s in the kitchen, with our team, or with family, he leads with generosity, passion, and a great sense of humor.
Rocco: Owen is my anchor. He brings vision, calm, and unwavering support to everything we do — he thinks big and somehow makes even the most ambitious dreams feel possible.
Teresa and Fay Albernas (FayWhat?!)
How Did you meet and how long have you been together?
Teresa – We met through a group of mutual friends, all gay women, and we were both dating other people. We developed a friendship, then more, and this happened almost 11 years ago, in 2015.
Fay – I met my wife at a moment when I was choosing myself — I had just begun my sobriety journey and was intentionally looking for people who truly lived, not just partied. Our second date says everything about us: Unity on the Bay followed by a very gay boy brunch. We’ve been together since. She changed my world and my last name on October 28, 2017 — a day that is still the happiest of my life.
When and how did you know this was it?
Teresa – I guess in our first year I knew this was the woman I had waited for my whole life. Marriage became legal at that time, and to me it felt like the most natural thing in the world to ask her to be my wife.
Fay – I knew early on, not because of fireworks, but because of peace. With Teresa, I felt safe, seen, and grounded. I didn’t have to perform or impress — I could just be. It felt like home. Watching her move through the world, — outspoken about the current political climate and deeply committed to protecting people who are vulnerable — only confirmed what I already knew.
What’s the best thing about your partner?
Teresa – Fay is always encouraging us to evolve. She is not afraid to take chances and remains humble and appreciative of all her successes. I admire her strength and determination and am truly her biggest fan.
Fay – Teresa cracks me up — daily, effortlessly. Her laughter is my favorite sound. She is steady, loving, and fiercely principled. As a nurse, she shows up every day for the LGBTQ community with compassion, advocacy, and zero judgment. She uses her voice when it matters, especially now, and reminds me what courage looks like. She loves me completely — including my love of dresses, shoes, and bold self-expression — and never once asks me to dim my shine. In a world that can feel chaotic, she is my calm, my joy, and my constant.
