Instagram (@dlanceblack & @robbierogers); Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Paramount+; Dave Benett/Getty Images for RH
Ah, true love. Does it really exist? When you're stuck in the chaotic world of dating, it can seem like true love will never actually come for you.
But while it's easy to wallow in heartbreak and loneliness, hope is real! These LGBTQ+ couples show that real love and commitment are possible, and that queer love can last a lifetime. We're so inspired by these couples, and look to them to remind ourselves that we too can find true happiness.
Here are 15 LGBTQ+ couples who have been in it for the long haul!
1. Greg Berlanti and Robbie Rogers - 11 years
Superproducer couple Greg Berlanti and Robbie Rogers have been dating since 2013, when Rogers was still a professional soccer player. They got engaged in 2016 and got married in December 2017. They have two children.
2. Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black - 11 years
In 2013, Olympic diver Tom Daley announced that he had been in a relationship with a man since early that year. That man was filmmaker Dustin Lance Black. The couple got engaged in 2015 and married in 2017. They have two children.
3. Cheynne Jackson and Jason Landau - 11 years
Shortly after Jackson announced he was divorcing his first husband in 2013, he also announced that he had begun a relationship with Landau. In 2014, the two announced they had gotten engaged, and the two married later that year. They are the parents of twins.
4. Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne - 11 years
In 2012, Notaro and Allynne met while working together on the independent movie In a World. At the time, Allynne identified as straight, but after the two played love interests in the movie, they kissed for real in a bar.
After the kiss, Allynne sent Notaro an email saying she enjoyed it, but she’s not gay. Notaro replied with a succinct, “Okay, dyke.” Three years later, the couple got engaged and then married in 2015. They also have twins.
5. Lance Bass and Michael Turchin - 13 years
Before they dated, Bass and Turchin were friends. Then, in 2011, they took things to the next level. Three years later, in 2014, the pair got married. On their 10th relationship anniversary in 2021, they welcomed twins via surrogate.
6. Kal Penn and Josh - 14 years
In his 2021 memoir, actor and former White House employee Kal Penn revealed that he had been dating his partner for 11 years and had gotten engaged. The two are very private about their personal lives.
7. Melissa Etheridge and Linda Wallem - 14 years
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Etheridge and Wallem were close friends for a long time before they became a couple in 2010. They announced their engagement in 2013 and got married the next year. Previously, Etheridge had been in two high-profile long-term relationships, and has four children from those relationships. Etherige and Wallem got married when they were both 53.
8. Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita - 14 years
When Modern Family premiered in 2009, Mikita was a law student and was in a relationship. The two then met in a locker room (fully clothed) and hit it off. 10 months later, they ran into each other again, but Mikita was single, and they started dating. Two years later, in 2012, the couple got engaged, and then got married in 2013. They have since welcomed two children.
9. Sean Hayes and Scott Icenogle - 18 years
Will & Grace star Sean Hayes met his future husband on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2006. Eight years later, they got married in a private ceremony.
10. Wanda Sykes and Alex Sykes - 18 years
Wanda and Alex Sykes first met in 2006 on Fire Island and instantly felt connected. Two years later, they got married and Sykes publicly came out as gay. Together, they have twins.
11. Colman Domingo and Raúl Domingo - 19 years
Oscar nominee Colman Domingo met his husband of ten years in 2005 when the two locked eyes in a Walgreens parking lot. A few days later, Colman was searching through Craigslist when he saw a missed connection saying “saw you outside of Walgreens, Berkeley.” Soon, the two connected, and nine years later, they were married.
12. Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka - 20 years
This happy couple celebrated the 20th anniversary of their first date just recently! The couple, which have two kids together, were married in September of 2014, meaning this year will also mark their 10-year wedding anniversary!
13. Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi - 20 years
Ever since Ellen came out in 1997, she’s been one of the most visible members of the LGBTQ+ community. In 2004, she started dating actress Portia de Rossi, and they got married in August 2008.
14. RuPaul and Georges LeBar - 30 years
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RuPaul and his husband met at a New York City club in 1994 and have been together ever since. In 2017, RuPaul announced that he had secretly married LeBar, his partner of 23 years at the time, on LeBar’s birthday and their anniversary. The couple have an open relationship.
15. Elton John and David Furnish - 31 years
Legendary singer Elton John began his relationship with David Furnish in 1993. When the Civil Partnership Act came into effect in the United Kingdom in 2005, the two formed a civil partnership. They later got married on December 21, 2014, the ninth anniversary of their civil partnership. They have two sons together.
