Thomas Roberts realized that Patrick D. Abner was the love of his life after dating for over a decade. The two met in 2000 and started dating but it didn't take them long to realize that what they had was going to last forever. They became inseparable and did everything together but just a simple relationship wasn't enough for them.
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They were hoping to get married as soon as possible. Luckily, New York City made same-sex marriage legal so Roberts and Abner had a chance to tie the knot. They got married on the Gansevoort Park Avenue's rooftop back in 2012 and they've enjoyed living together ever since. The two are still very happy today!
Barry Manilow and Garry Kief
Next up are Barry Manilow and Garry Kief. Manilow is a well-known singer and songwriter who left a tremendous impact on the American public stage. Throughout the five decades of his career, Manilow created numerous hits and songs that will be remembered forever. He was also open about his sexuality in public and he dated Garry Kief, a successful manager, since 1978. The two got married in 2014 and, interestingly, both were in relationships with women prior to getting together.
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Manilow was married to his high school sweetheart, Susan Deixler, but two years after tying the knot, the two got divorced. Garry was also married to a woman and he even had a daughter named Kristen, born in 1976. However, both of them wanted to pursue their true happiness and they found it with one another. Their relationship was sealed in their Palm Springs estate where they officially got married.
Ricky Martin and Jwan Yosef
Here is yet another person that would probably not have come out of the closet so easily and so soon, if it was not for Ellen DeGeneres and her show. Ricky Martin confessed on the show that he is a homosexual and is already in a same-sex relationship. He revealed that his partner is Jwan Yosef, who is a painter.
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You would think that was all, but Martin had yet another trick up his sleeve. He announced that they were engaged and were about to be married. As you would imagine the public went crazy with the news.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita
You probably recognize Jesse Tyler Ferguson from the popular TV series, Modern Family. Outside of the show, he decided to start his own family with Justin Mikita. The two love birds got engaged in 2012 and married shortly after in 2013. What's really heart-warming about these two men is not only their lovely relationship but also their act of kindness on their wedding day.
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They decided not to take wedding gifts in the traditional manner but rather donate everything to charity. Thus, they kindly asked all wedding guests that, instead of bringing a gift, they donate to the charity "Tie the Knot," which is a marriage equality charity. How kind is that!
Jodie Foster and Alexandra Hedison
Believe it or not, when Jodie Foster made a guest appearance on Late Night with David Letterman, the host made some unbelievable comments about her sexuality, implying that it is sad that she will never be with a man. While this is something you should never tell a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Jodie didn't take it to heart since she was as happy as one can be, married to her partner, Alexandra Hedison.
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Foster is considered one of the best actresses in Hollywood and her partner, Alexandra, is a director, artist, as well as a teacher. The two got married back in 2014, only one year after they met. Interestingly, Alexandra Hedison used to date Ellen DeGeneres back in the day and Foster brought two kids into the marriage from her previous relationship with Cydney Bernard. She has two sons, one of whom is pursuing an acting career in hopes of following in his mother's footsteps.
Michael Sam and Vito Cammisano
Here is a truly touching story of an NFL player and his emotional outburst on live TV. Michael Sam, a talented football player, couldn't stay calm when he was drafted to the NFL. He couldn't control his emotions and ended up kissing his boyfriend, Vito Cammisano, on live television. The reactions from the public were mixed but Michael couldn't care less. He was happy and in love.
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While Michael pursued his sports career, Vito was an alumnus of the University of Missouri. The two went public with their relationship when they got engaged in January of 2015. Unfortunately, they broke up five months later. The reason for their split is still unknown.
Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka
Chef, David Burka, and actor, Neil Patrick Harris, are relationship goals in Hollywood. The two were very secretive about their relationship in the past. Luckily, as the world is more open-minded allowing for LGBTQ+ couples to express their love freely, we have been seeing more of this powerful match on the entertainment scene.
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Both Neil and David have very successful careers. Neil has made his acting dreams come true, whereas David is now focusing on cooking, which has been his passion for a long time. After keeping their relationship secret and away from the public's eye for five years, the two got engaged and made it official in 2014. They even became parents through surrogacy in 2010 when their twins were born.
Orlando Cruz and Jose Manuel Colon
Getting married to a man is quite dangerous if you are a boxer. A lot of people involved in this sport are quite aggressive and openly homophobic. However, Orlando Cruz wasn't scared of anyone when he went public with his relationship with Jose Manuel Colon. That's how Cruz became the first professional boxer who was publicly gay yet still continued fighting in the ring.
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The first fight he won after openly announcing he was gay was back in October 2012. A year later, Orlando Cruz became one of the very first inductees into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame. It didn't take long for the couple to make things official. They got married in Central Park, New York City.
Isiah Thomas and Son Stand Together
The famous Isiah Thomas, known as the ex- NBA Hall of Famer, often posts on Instagram with his son Zeke Thomas, the DJ, and music producer. Isiah in 2010, stood by his son for the NOH8 Campaign and shared their views on discrimination. Both Isiah and Zeke are against discrimination and are standing for equality regardless of sexual orientation and gender.
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Even though Isiah never publically speaks about his son's gay rights, his actions say plenty about his support. Zeke spoke about his coming out in the Out magazine in 2013 and claims that his parents always knew of his sexuality. The young DJ came out in 2017 and shared his experience of a traumatic sexual assault which lead him down the path of helping others.
Jonathan Bennett and James Vaughan
Jonathan Bennet and James Vaughan are a couple of the modern era. Once they had met and confessed their feelings to each other they became inseparable. They were like two young teens that had fallen in love for the first time, and wanted everyone around them to know about it. They actually made their relationship public by posting it on their social media accounts. Like we said – a modern couple.
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And just like your average teen, Bennett started posting quite lovely posts about Vaughan, and vice versa. It might feel a bit childish, but if they enjoy it, who are we to judge?
Tom Ford and Richard Buckley
Our next iconic couple is Tom Ford and Richard Buckley, one of the world's most famous fashion designers and fashion journalist. What a match! The story of how the two met is truly remarkable. They shared an elevator ride for 10 floors and by the end of the ride, they knew something was happening between them.
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The adorable elevator ride took place in 1986 and the two have been in love ever since. They officially got married in 2014 and started their own family with a son named Alexander John Buckley Ford. When they were asked what the secret of such a successful relationship was, they said that the secret lies in having respect for your partner. It's a good lesson to take away!
Victor Garber and Rainer Andreesen
Not many would have imagined Victor Garber to be attracted to same-sex, and not many expected to ever hear him come out of the closet, but here he is. He is also one of those people who are proud to say that he is gay, and is not embarrassed in the slightest. If you have a hard time placing your finger on the movies he appeared in, here are a few of his most famous ones: Godspell, Titanic, and Sweeney Todd.
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He has had a long career in the industry and revealed that he was a homosexual back in 2012. In 2015 he got married to Rainier Andreesen, who is a model. He published a photo from the wedding on his Instagram account and was met with positive responses.
Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner
Lily Tomlin made her debut appearance on the entertainment stage in the 1960s as a stand-up comedian. Being a talented artist and comedian, Lily quickly built a successful career. She appeared in many TV shows and movies, as well as had her share of Broadway appearances for which she won numerous awards. There is no doubt that she can be satisfied with what she has achieved.
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However, her biggest achievement took place in 1971. That's when she met Jane Wagner and the two fell in love. Interestingly, the two collaborated on Lily's album titled And That's the Truth. Soon after, they started dating and went public with their same-sex relationship. They decided to officially get married in December of 2013.
Jonathan Knight and Harley Rodriguez
The singer from New Kids on the Block, Jonathan Knight just couldn't stop talking about his boyfriend Harley Rodriguez during an episode of Jenny McCarthy's Sirius radio show back in 2016. The two got engaged during a trip to Africa. Their parents were already there so it felt like the right place and time to get down on one knee.
The two officially got married in 2018 after ten years of being together. Interestingly, the two have done many fun things together, including competing in a TV show called The Amazing Race. They participated in the 26th season of the show and ended up taking ninth place. The two are still enjoying their happy marriage and even planning on expanding their family.
John Barrowman and Scott Gill
Believe it or not, John Barrowman attended a play in 1993 and couldn't help but fall in love with one of the actors. As a successful writer, singer, and actor, John was quite difficult to impress. However, when he saw Scott Gill on stage he was completely mesmerized!
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The two got to talking and quickly found that they had a lot in common. They started dating and even solidified their union by entering a civil partnership back in 2009. Seven years later when gay marriage became legal and accepted, the two decided to tie the knot and officially become husbands. They are still living happily and enjoying their marriage.
“Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. Mark 6:3
After traveling throughout the countryside performing miracles, teaching the crowds and gaining many followers, Jesus returned to Nazareth where He grew up. Perhaps His disciples were excited to return with Jesus to His native place, thinking that His own townspeople would be overjoyed to see Jesus again because of the many stories of His miracles and authoritative teaching. But the disciples were soon to have quite a surprise.
After arriving in Nazareth, Jesus entered the Synagogue to teach, and He taught with an authority and wisdom that confounded the locals. They said among themselves, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him?” They were confused because they knew Jesus. He was the local carpenter who worked for years with His father who was a carpenter. He was Mary’s son, and they knew His other relatives by name.
The primary difficulty Jesus’ townspeople had was their familiarity with Jesus. They knew Him. They knew where He lived. They knew Him as He grew up. They knew His family. They knew all about Him. Therefore, they wondered how Jesus could be anything special. How could He now teach with authority? How could He now do miracles? Thus, the townspeople were astonished, and they allowed that astonishment to turn into doubt, judgment and criticism.
The same temptation is something we all deal with more than we may realize. It is often easier to admire a stranger from afar than one whom we know well. When we hear of someone for the first time who is doing something admirable, it’s easy to join in that admiration. But when we hear good news about someone we know well, we can easily be tempted to jealousy or envy and to be skeptical and even critical. But the truth is that every saint has a family. And every family potentially has brothers and sisters, cousins and other relatives through whom God will do great things. This should not surprise us—it should inspire us! And we should rejoice when those close to us and with whom we are familiar are used powerfully by our good God.
Reflect, today, upon those whom you are familiar with in life, especially your own family. Examine whether or not you struggle with an ability to see beyond the surface and accept that God dwells within everyone. We must constantly seek to discover the presence of God all around us, especially in the lives of those whom we know very well.
My ever-present Lord, thank You for the countless ways in which You are present in the lives of those all around me. Give me the grace to see You and to love You in the lives of those closest to me. As I discover Your glorious presence in their lives, fill me with deep gratitude and help me to acknowledge Your love that comes forth from their lives. Jesus, I trust in You.
I'm answering this as an Indonesian. You can easily observe the gap between Singapore and Indonesia with a quick 45-minute ferry ride.
The imaginary line created through the 1824 treaty between Great Britain and the Netherlands established the historical border between Indonesia and Singapore. This treaty divided the Malacca Straits region into spheres of influence between the two colonial powers. These divisions gave rise to distinct systems in the respective areas, defining the nature of the two states.
Singapore is consistently ranked among the best places in Asia for quality of life, being safe from crime, corruption-free, and an economically liberal country. The Singaporean government has invested significantly in health, education, and infrastructure, making it an attractive destination for settlement and business activities. Singapore's economy has evolved into a highly developed free-market economy, renowned for being pro-business, ranking as the 4th-least corrupt, and maintaining low taxes. As a result, it now boasts the highest per-capita GDP in the world in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP).
Meanwhile, Indonesia has a moderately low ranking. Currently, it holds the 116th position in terms of quality of life with a score of 0.694 out of a possible 1. Indonesia's quality of life is comparable to that of Egypt, Bolivia, Vietnam, and South Africa. As one of the emerging market economies globally, Indonesia relies on the domestic market, government budget spending, and its ownership of state-owned enterprises. Since the 1990s, a majority of the economy has been controlled by individual Indonesians and foreign companies. Additionally, Indonesia was ranked 110th among 180 countries.
The reason Singapore has excelled in prosperity is:
Pragmatic leadership, spearheaded by Lee Kuan Yew and his successors, played a crucial role in shaping Singapore’s development.
Singapore has successfully kept corruption at bay, contributing to the creation of a clean and transparent business environment.
Singapore's robust institutions and well-considered policies have not only attracted investors but also contributed significantly to its economic growth.
Singapore's public sector has demonstrated efficiency and effectiveness in implementing policies and delivering services.
On the other hand, Indonesia faces challenges such as a large population, a young workforce, and a lack of focus on economic reforms. While Indonesia has been classified as a newly industrialized economy, Singapore is a highly developed, trade-oriented one. Singapore's success story is a result of its ability to adapt and innovate in the changing world, whereas Indonesia has struggled to keep up with the rapid pace of changes.
