Everlasting love: 20 long-term queer celebrity couples giving us relationship goals
Some of the famous faces serving up relationship goals.
Mark
Queer representation matters. However, as well as individual role models, queer couples also have a huge impact. Images of same-sex love send a powerful message to those still struggling with their sexuality or to those who question if they’ll ever find “the one.”
One of the biggest shifts in society since Queerty first appeared 20 years ago is the arrival of same-sex marriage. Nothing drives home the “love is love” message more effectively than seeing two people, of whatever gender, tie the knot in front of friends and family.
How about we take this to the next level?
Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today
Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage back in 2004. A handful of other states then followed, before the US Supreme Court issued its landmark Obergefell v. Hodges ruling in 2015.
Queer weddings are now so commonplace that it’s easy to forget the right to wed was cruelly denied to so many couples in the past.
Rewind to the beginning of the century, and you’d probably be able to count famous celebrity gay couples on one hand. Fast forward to 2025 and we were spoiled for choice when it came to drawing up a list of 20 of our favorite, long-term celebrity couples…
1. Pete and Chasten Buttigieg
Pete Buttigieg, then the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and Chasten Glezman first connected in the summer of 2015 on the dating app Hinge. They came across each other’s profiles because they happened to both be at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport at the time. A first date followed in South Bend in August of that year. The men married in June 2018, and in 2019, Buttigieg announced his intention to run for President, propelling them both into the national spotlight.
They became dads through adoption to twins Gus and Penelope in August 2021. The family is now based in Traverse City, Michigan. Pete continues to be one of the more erudite critics of the current White House administration – and many hope he might try again to run for higher office in 2028.
2. Jodie Foster and Alexandra Hedison
Oscar-winner Jodie Foster met photographer Alexandra Hedison in 2013. They married a year later. Foster is the biological mother of sons Charlie and Kit, born in 1998 and 2001, when she was with her previous partner, Cydney Bernard.
The couple made a memorable appearance at the Golden Globes in early 2021, which were held virtually. Foster won an award for her performance in The Mauritian. She accepted the award remotely from her couch at home, sat alongside Hedison, with both of them wearing pajamas.
3. Colman Domingo and Raul Domingo
Future husbands Colman and Domingo first crossed paths in 2005. Colman was heading into a Walgreens, and Raul was coming out. They exchanged lingering looks, but the moment passed.
Three days later, Domingo was trying to buy a used computer. He was scanning Craigslist and was struck by another idea. What if he placed a “Missed Connections” advert to find his mystery man? He scanned that section and got to page two. That’s when he saw an advert saying, “Saw you at Walgreens, Berkeley.” Raul had already placed an advert two hours earlier.
Reconnected, they arranged their first date. Colman stayed over the night to “just cuddle.”
“I thought he was asleep,” Colman told Graham Norton in 2024. “Four o’clock in the morning, I thought he was asleep, and I said, ‘I think I love you and you’re about to change my life’.” The men married in 2014.
Related
Colman Domingo recalls telling future husband “I think I love you” on their first date
The story of how they met 19 years ago is insane!
4. Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne
Comedian Notaro and actress Allynne met on the set of the 2013 movie In A World. Although Notaro was an out lesbian, Allynne had not dated a woman before.
They became friends at first, but this later blossomed into romance. They married in 2015 in Notaro’s hometown of Pass Christian, Mississippi. The couple became moms to twin boys, Max and Finn, born via a surrogate, in June 2017.
5. Elton John and David Furnish
Canadian David Furnish first met Elton John when a mutual friend invited him to a dinner party at Elton’s Windsor home in 1993. They immediately hit it off and began dating. Elton and David entered into a civil partnership in December 2005 before marrying in December 2014, after same-sex marriage became legal in the UK. They have two sons, Zachary (born 2010) and Elijah (born 2013).
Elton continues to have hits, even if he’s now retired from touring, and he still tirelessly fights to alleviate HIV suffering through the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
6. Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor
Although not married, actresses Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor are one of the most high-profile lesbian couples in Hollywood. They also proudly fly the flag for age-gap relationships, with a 32-year difference between them. They first met at a party in 2005. However, it wasn’t until ten years later that they reconnected over social media and began dating. In May 2024, Paulson revealed why their relationship worked so well for them on the Smartless podcast.
“We don’t live together. That’s the secret to it,” she said. “We spend plenty of time together but we don’t live in the same house. We’re together when we want to be and we’re not when we don’t.”
7. Jonathan Bennett and Jaymes Vaughan
Actor, producer and reality TV host Jonathan Bennett (Mean Girls, Finding Mr Christmas) met Jaymes Vaughan (a former Chippendale and contestant on Race Around The World) in 2016. Bennet was filming a segment for Celebrity Page to promote the Food Network reality show, Halloween Wars. Vaughan interviewed him. There was an immediate attraction. They met up again later that same day for their first date.
The men married in 2022 in Mexico. They share a love of travel and often share photos and videos from their international adventures.
8. Jessica Betts and Niecy Nash-Betts
Country singer Betts met actress and comedian Niecy Nash on social media in 2015, became friends, and began dating in 2019. They announced their engagement in July 2020 and got married in August 2020. The news surprised many. Before this relationship, Niecy Nash had been married twice to men. She had three children with her first husband. In March 2022, the women became the first same-sex couple to grace the cover of Essence magazine.
9. Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka
Actors Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka began dating in 2004. Harris publicly came out as gay in 2006, and the men were pictured together for the first time attending the Emmy Awards in 2007. They became dads to twins Gideon and Harper, born via a surrogate, in October 2010. They married in September 2014 in Italy.
The men have often shared moments of their family life online (including their much-anticipated, annual Halloween portrait), and have worked together on several projects. This includes the Hulu show, Drag Me To Dinner, and a recent book of cocktails and mocktails (Burtka is in recovery).
10. Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi
Comedian and talk show icon Ellen DeGeneres reportedly first met de Rossi briefly at a party in 2000. However, it wasn’t until 2004 that they reconnected and romance blossomed. At the time, de Rossi hadn’t spoken about being queer, but she came out in 2005 when the pair went public with their relationship.
They married in 2008 in California. In 2023, they renewed their vows with Kris Jenner as officiant. In 2024, the couple relocated to the UK.
Related
Queerty’s 20th anniversary merch is here
Queerty turned 20 and brought merch to the party. From retro ringer tees to sticker sheets, mugs, and fanny packs—shop the official collection at The Pride Store.
11. Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black
In early 2013, British Olympian Tom Daley was just 18 when he found himself sitting next to Dustin Lance Black, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of the movie Milk, at a dinner in Los Angeles. Black was 38. They hit it off and went on their first date on Daley’s 19th birthday on May 21 of that year. They say they knew within days that they were meant for one another. Daley came out publicly later that year via a video on YouTube. The men announced their engagement in 2015 and married in 2017. They have two sons, born in 2018 and 2023 respectively, and the family is now based in Los Angeles.
12. Da Brat and Jesseca “Judy” Harris-Dupart
Shawntae Harris, better known as rapper Da Brat, met businesswoman Judy Dupart in 2017 at an event for the latter’s haircare company. They reconnected again later and began dating, prompting Da Brat to publicly come out in 2020. They went on to star in their own reality show, Brat Loves Judy, and got married in 2022. Judy already had three children from a previous relationship. Da Brat, at the age of 48, then got pregnant with her own child. Their son, True Legend Harris-Dupart, arrived in July 2023.
The couple enjoy a large social media following, and we love the sweet videos they post to TikTok and Instagram.
@sosodefbrat We get on each other's nerves sometimes. NO RELATIONSHIP IS PERFECT! It takes LOVE, COMMUNICATION, COMMITMENT, COMPASSION, MISUNDERSTANDINGS, DISAGREEMENTS, ADJUSTMENTS, DISCRETIONS, EMBARRASSMENTS…ALL DAT! And WE GO THRU IT ALL IN OUR NEW BOOK "THE WAY LOVE GOES!" PRE-ORDER NOW! Whatchu seen on TV ain't sh*t compared to these PAGES! U never knew a read like this before! @Jesseca Harris Dupart @Amistad Link in bio or HarperCollins.com #bratlovesjudy #X100 #relationships #uncut #uncensored ♬ original sound – DA BRAT
13. Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner
Tomlin and Wagner are the longest-running couple on this list. The actress and comedian (Tomlin) met writer and director Wagner in 1971. Tomlin says she fell in love with Wagner within two minutes of meeting her. They have been partners ever since, often collaborating creatively (on such movies as 1981’s The Incredible Shrinking Woman and Tomlin’s stand-up shows). The pair have never kept their relationship a secret, despite being warned to do so in the 1970s. They married on New Year’s Eve in 2013 in a private ceremony in California.
14. Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent
Design expert and writer Nate Berkus has been married to Queer Eye’s interior designer, Jeremiah Brent, 40, since May 2014. They have a daughter and son, born via surrogacy in 2015 and 2018, respectively.
The couple has also worked together professionally. They presented Nate & Jeremiah by Design on TLC and The Nate and Jeremiah Home Project on HGTV.
Berkus recently made headlines by discussing the importance of fidelity in their relationship.
“Among our friends, we’re rare in that we don’t have an open relationship. It’s just something we discussed very early on, and he’s all I need, and I’m all he needs.”
15. Chloe Grace Moretz and Kate Harrison
Actress Chloe Moretz has appeared in movies such as Carrie and The Miseducation of Cameron Post. She privately began dating model Kate Harrison in 2018. In 2022, she confirmed she was in a long-term relationship but gave no further details. Then, Moretz publicly came out in an Instagram post from November 2024, referring to herself as “a gay woman”.
She and Harrison confirmed their engagement on January 1 this year, and they married over Labor Day weekend.
16. Jonathan Van Ness and Mark Peacock
Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness first met his future husband, Mark Peacock, whilst on a tour of the UK in October 2019. Sparks flew between them, and Van Ness introduced Peacock to their family just a couple of weeks after their initial meeting. Following a whirlwind romance, they secretly married in a small ceremony in the middle of 2020. They recently celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary, and Peacock obtained his US citizenship in November.
17. Wanda Sykes and Alex Sykes
Comedian Wanda Sykes first met her wife-to-be, Alex, on a ferry ride to Fire Island in 2006. Sykes was in the process of remodeling her kitchen when she was introduced to Alex, a French woman who sold granite countertops. The comedian later told the Guardian, “Something really said to me — like, audibly — ‘Wow, that’s what you need, Wanda.’ “
The women married two years later, and Wanda publicly came out shortly after. They welcomed twins, Olivia Lou and Lucas Clyde, in 2009.
18. Jesse Tyler-Ferguson and Justin Mikita
Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita met around 2010 at the Equinox gym in West Hollywood. They talked, but Mikita was with someone else at the time. A few months later, finding himself single, Mikita reconnected with Tyler Ferguson via Twitter. They started dating and got engaged in 2012. They married in New York City in July 2013, and have since founded the non-profit Tie the Knot and welcomed two sons, Beckett (2020) and Sullivan (2022), through surrogacy.
19. Ross Mathews and Wellinthon Garcia
Ross Mathews and Dr Wellinthon Garcia met at a resort in Puerto Vallarta in 2020. Mathews spotted his future hubby by the hotel pool one morning and sauntered over to introduce himself, saying, “Hi, I’m Ross Mathews.” Garcia had no idea who he was, so simply replied, “Hi, I’m Dr. Wellinthon Garcia.”
They got engaged in February 2021 and married in May 2022 at the same resort where they met. They’ve since published a children’s book together, Tío & Tío, inspired by their wedding. The couple recruited their young nephews as ring bearers, and the boys’ experience formed the basis of the book.
20. Shaunt T and Scott Blokker
Shaun T (née Shaun Thompson) was born in 1978 and raised in New Jersey and Philadelphia. He became famous for his workouts, including T25, Insanity, and Let’s Get Up. Shaun married his husband Scott back in 2012. In 2017, they became dads to twin sons via surrogacy. They share lots of photos of their family life on Instagram but post more bodybuilding and flesh-flaunting content on their respective X accounts — along with messages of motivating positivity.
Related
The 20 best & biggest LGBTQ+ books of the last 20 years
From ‘Fun Home’ to ‘The Velvet Rage’ to ‘Detransition, Baby,’ these are the queer reads from the past two decades we couldn’t put down!Work! 20 house anthems that helped define the sound of queer freedom
A lot can happen on the dance floor.
Sign up for the Queerty newsletter to stay on top of the hottest stories in LGBTQ+ entertainment, politics, and culture.
