Celebrating Enduring Relationships In The LGBTQ Community

Commercial Photographer Barbara Proud is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this portrait/documentary photography. From her book/project ‘First Comes Love‘. To see the stories of the couples click on any image.

All images © B. Proud

Norman and Graham, together 2+6 years. They were together for two years when long distance forced them to separate. Graham was together with Charles, pictured in the small frame for 40 years. Just about the time Charles died, Norman received a letter from Graham. They reconnected and fell instantly back in love.

Gabe and Lee, together 26 years. They met at a college party at the University of Florida and have been together ever since.

FIRST COMES LOVE is a celebration of enduring relationships in the LGBTQ community. Through a series of moving black and white portraits and accompanying stories, B. Proud illuminates the real lives of over 60 couples that have been together from 10 to 59 years. Begun at time when same-sex marriage was in its infancy in the United States and the Defense of Marriage Act was the law of the land, these portraits show the deep seeded love between couples that have long considered themselves committed. B. Proud has gathered here a diverse collection of L-G-B-T and Q couples, including the California Proposition 8 Plaintiffs, Edie Windsor, the first couple married in the nation’s capital, the Mayor of Houston, Texas, gay pioneers Barbara Gittings, Kay Lahusen and Lilli Vincenz and many more who you will enjoy getting to know. These portraits break down the stereotypes of a community typically characterized by rainbow flags and gay pride parades. In these portraits, we are asked to see beyond the surface and beyond the labels and find the true nature of these people who are deeply in love. B. Proud’s new project, TRANSCENDING LOVE, focuses on transgender and genderqueer couples.