I “always thought” I was into guys, but I also thought I would never want to marry..

HOWEVER, in my school period (around age 20) I began working at a local cafe, where I met a girl (colleague). I find myself a social person but around her I somehow always was nervous and weird. Than one day, we had a work party and we secretly kissed in a bar, this changed my life you could say.

I first tried to put my feelings away and tried to think nothing about what I felt that night. However, one year later the same thing happened and we kissed again, with of course the same crazy feeling in my stomach..

oh for the record, in the periods in between we still went on like normal colleagues like nothing happened. As well, after the second kiss. A month later I went abroad for half a year and couldn’t stop thinking about it, where I came out to my best friend after three months. Still I thought it would never become something with ‘my colleague’. But I also couldn’t ignore the feelings.

After my period abroad, SHE went away for half a year. We spoke sometimes and we met up ones in London, nothing happened but I was jealous of a boy flirting with her haha.

This goes on for I think another half year. My study finished and I thought, why don’t I go back to our old work place so I can be close to her, desperate times but the best idea ever.

In some way we ended up sleeping together while I did not have a room to live in over there and she had.. Couple weeks we lived like that and FINALLY, we kissed eachother (good to know: sober). And that is how our love story started, I waited around three years, but now we are very in love and almost 4 years together. Planning to get married and have kids!!

How me and my girlfriend met was kinda amazing and on the oldschool way. I was sitting with a friend on the corner of the place I was living, we we're drinking and laughing. Suddenly two girls walked by. One (mine) very very beautiful. I really thought "Wow, this girl would never like a girl like me... Maybe she isn't even a lesbian." (She wasn't, she thought... But now she knows she is because of me, hihi) But ok, they asked us where they could buy beer at that time. (Because it was evening) They asked in English because they we're from Ukraine and lived on the corner in the shelter for Ukrainian people who left because of the war. Very sad... She'd been trough a lot... :(

But ok, again, haha, so, we started saying "yeah, we got beer here we can get you some. (I secretly wanted her to stay, hihi) So we talked and laughed for hours (the 4 of us) and we made some photos. We even got some coins from them from Ukraine and we were so happy with the coins. We called them our lucky coins. (I still have them here)

It got later and they had to go away to the shelter. So we hugged goodbye and gave eachother some kisses on the cheek. And they walked away. But I still felt something in my tummy. I said to my friend "Should I ask her number for the photos and because I will have her number then, haha" My friend repeatedly said "yes, go, yes do it."

I was a little bit nervous and scared even though I act like I never get nervous sometimes, big mouth, little heart, haha. So, they were almost at the and of the street and I was screaming to them "Wait! Can I have the photos?!" So I ran trough their direction. (She still says that she would always remember how cute I ran to her that day I met her, hihi) I came there and asked if I could have one of their numbers. So she (my girlfriend) directly got HER OWN phone, haha. (CUTE) And she gave me her number to send the photos. She did the same day. And since that day we started texting and one day we wanted to meet with only the two of us.

And I fell in love directly again. And she did too she said. And now after almost 10 months, I guess, we are still together. And I still fall in love with her all over again when I see her or when I talk to her. This is the most beautiful moment of my life and she is the most beautiful and sweet woman in my life now! ♥️💯

My love story starts in a bar, as many good love stories do.

I used to be a straight ally, I'd ball my eyes out to Macklemore and get WAY too mad when friends experienced homophobia, but I hated the thought of girly bits, I mean ew!

But for some reason I REALLY admired certain actresses, I thought queer people were so dang cool and as a child, my girl best friend and I planned to live together on a farm, with animals and no boys. I was absolutely straight though, surely.

Well one night, I decided I was bored. I wanted to go dancing! No friends close by so I went alone.I ended up chatting with some guys until closing, as we walked out a girl comes up to me, chats for a moment then kisses me....I mean why not!

I've been that girl who's comfortable kissing girls whil drunk, let's gooooo! I kiss her back. But wait, it's different? We both get more into it and start making out more passionately.

We finish, she says bye and runs to her friends. I do not move, just look and listen, listening to the weird sensations my body has presented me with.

After a moment, I start to walk home left with this feeling of knowing yet confusion, of passion and lust.

The next few weeks were spent reading the lesbian master doc, watching videos, hearing stories and most importantly having vivid gay memories of childhood that I was seeing in a new light.

I don't really know who that girl was or why she decided to kiss me but I appreciate her.I was 25 and she'd essentially unlocked my queer self for me. Before this I was having an identity crisis, I felt like a grey human, like my colour was missing, something was wrong with the self but I felt hopeless trying to figure it out. When she kissed me she showed me where my colour was hiding, deep in a closet, so deep I couldn't find it.

Ever since, my life's been filled with so much joy! With self expression and this beautiful understanding of my own self. I've marched in Pride, I've dyed and shaved my hair, made a bunch of queer friends and even have a goal to perform at a queer event.

My big love is falling in love with my true self.

I'm so glad I got to meet me. 🥰

In 2010 I did a solo backpacking trip through SE Asia, where I met and travelled with 3 British girls for the majority of the time.  We clicked and got along so well, that for years after our adventures we stayed in touch!  I travelled to the UK in 2012 to experience the Olympics and stayed with one of the girls in Brighton. I was only supposed to stay for a few days, but ended up staying a month.  I fell in love with the place.  Being originally from a small Canadian country town, I had never experienced a place that was so open and accepting.  I moved there the following yearI applied for a Visa and moved to Brighton in 2013.

4 mths into settling I met Toby through a friend. My friend at the time asked if I wanted to go with him to meet some of his friends, who were meeting in the nearby park drinking tinnies in the sun.  At that time I hadnt made many friends and was excited at the thought of meeting new people.  As I walked down the park me and Toby instantly locked eyes.  I laid down beside him and cracked a beer.  We laughed, he teased me for my accent, drank beers in the sun.  From that moment on, we started dating.  

6 months later, I was at the 1 year mark for my Working Holiday visa, meaning I only had 1 more year to go.  We had the difficult and real conversation about what our future looked like.  I had done a lot of travelling (solo) up until that point, ever since the age of 18, but Toby hadnt been many places outside of holidaying in Europe.

I explained to Toby I wasnt ready to move back to Canada, and that Australia was the next on my list.  We started to prepare for the idea we would move there together after my visa expired a year from then.  Toby became very scared and nervous as the time approached, realising he was going to leave his super-strong and tight knit friendship circle, as well as his family.  It was a very stressful time, mixed with a lot of mixed emotions (excitement and anxiety).

In August of 2015, the time came and my Visa expired, I headed home to Canada to work and save for a few months before we were to move down to Australia.  During this time I had encouraged to go and travel SE Asia...you know, get a bit of an idea of travelling and living abroad....HE DID IT, Solo for 4 months.Upon the completion of Tobys trip, he travelled back through the UK to have an early pretend Xmas with his family, and then onward to meet me in Canada for Xmas....where he would meet my family for the same time.  After Christmas we travelled to LA for a friend's wedding, and then onto Sydney (40 hours later via Seattle & Ghuangzhou).

We settled in Sydney January 2016 in Redfern and slowly started making friends and a new life.  We were present for the YES Vote for Marriage Equality, and continued to grow a life here. It was difficult to settle into Sydney, it can be a tricky city to make friends as its so big, and there are so many different pockets and neighborhoods.  But we opened our hearts to many, and approached people with kindness.  We have a beautiful friendship circle and chosen family here now.

In 2019 Tobys best friends came to visit us, we did a weekend trip to the Hunter Valley, where Toby surprised me and got down on one knee!  I said yes.  We had planned our wedding for August 2021, but sadly we had to cancel due to Covid.  The biggest upset was that it would be the first time our Canada + England + Australia families would meet.  However, we pushed on and replanned for a local wedding here in Sydney at the Paddington Reservoir for May 2022!  It was beautiful!

We have had many ups and downs together, it not being easy to relocate overseas as an individual....let alone a couple.  But we persevered, stayed true and honest to eachother and supported one another through open honest conversation.  We are truly eachothers rocks.From May 2022 to this coming May 2023 we will have gotten married, bought a house, officially received citizenship, and will travel to our honeymoon to Tel Aviv!

I was in a petshop and one of the sales assistants was being too loud. I said, excuse me is it possible to talk a bit quieter I have ADHD and it's hard to concentrate. He was virtually yelling.It's normally chill in there so I was surprised. The person behind me offered for me to go ahead in the queue which surprised me as people in the big city are normally pretty rude.

She the rushed towards me outside the store and I said excuse me ! I think I have ADHD too. Do you mind if I talk to you ? Realising the very real challenges of being neurospicy and rainbow in a neurotypical world I said sure, no problem . We were both heading to the amazing fruit/veg/grocery shop so we chatted there before the staff asked if I could move my bag off the mangoes. Oops my bad. I said I'm going in, are you going in? We might as well talk and shop. So we got our items and went to check out . At the check out she was cracking jokes with the cashier and said to them we had our first date at the petshop, now we are here on our second date. The staff smiled sweetly. They really are so lovely there (lovely is love , it contains the word love itself !)

We left and I said which way are you going and I walked her to her corner where we chatted for a bit and I said if you'd like to stay in touch we can exchange numbers. No problem if you don't want to . I'd like to! She exclaimed excitedly and we swapped numbers. She headed off up the street , me along the busy road to the station with a smile on my face. I sent a text as I travelled home saying it was nice to meet you. We messaged for a bit.  There was no tenseness, just a natural flow of conversation and understanding. She started telling me about her self and her skills (!) which was interesting. She asks me to send her some information about ADHD so I did with a warning it may come on blast!

Some time later I asked her if she'd like to go for wa walk around the harbour, if that's something that interests you? She said! Yes! It does but I'm back at work so in a couple of weeks. We met for our walk and talk around the harbour both patting dogs as we went. The sun setting slowly, the water glistening like diamonds and the air fresh, crisp and clean. The water lapped gently around the boats we passed. We talked and talked as we walked.Spontaneously she took her shoes off and said I'm brave if you are ? And we put our feet in at the little tiny beach. She picked up some seaweed and said do you like sushi . Lol. We sat on the waterfront with the water kissing our feet watching the sun set sweetly a myriad of colours. Peace, comfortablity and ease, that is love.

Growing up in a small town in northern Malaysia, I spent my entire childhood in the closet. This was partly due to me attending an all-boys school; anyone deemed queer or effeminate would be bullied mercilessly by the other students. Even the teachers would chime in, preaching the horrors of homosexuality in classes and assemblies.

At the time when I began discovering my attraction to other boys, our then Deputy Prime Minister was sent to prison for having sex with another man. In a town where gay people were unheard of, and the subject was considered taboo, suddenly it was all everyone spoke about. Of course, none of these conversations were positive. I learnt early on that my feelings were to be buried deep, never seeing the light of day.

So life went on, with unrequited crushes on classmates and teachers alike. I discovered the internet, realised that there were others like me out there, and it was possible for me to be who I am in a different country. That knowledge spurred me on to work hard at school so I would one day be granted a scholarship to study abroad.

It all paid off in the end. At the young age of 20, I found myself on a plane to New Zealand, with about a dozen other scholarship students. To them, it was the start of an incredible adventure. To me, it was the start of a new life for myself. A life where I was free to be who I am, without fear of prosecution.

The next three years were the best of my life. I came out, I joined a gay choir, I was part of the annual pride parade, and I made lots of new gay friends. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t an other. I was simply part of a community of others who are just like me. I felt like I had finally found where I belong. I had fallen in love with New Zealand.

Unfortunately, it didn’t last. Being a scholarship student meant I was bonded to my origin country, and when the three years came to a close, I was forced to return. I tried applying to continue my studies, but it was rejected. Heartbroken, I packed up my belongings, said goodbye to all my friends, and got on the plane. In my heart, I promised myself that one day, I would return for good.

Several years went by. It was tough in the beginning, trying to resettle in a hostile environment, but I pushed through. I found solace in the friendship and community of other queer folk, albeit much less openly than before. These people kept me going through those difficult times, and I cannot thank them enough.

I was also fortunate enough to work for a company where I didn’t have to hide who I am. While there were certainly homophobic colleagues, the anti-discrimination policies prevented them from giving me any trouble. I worked hard and continued upskilling myself, with the aim of one day applying for a job in New Zealand.

Towards the end of 2021, when the world was slowly reopening post-covid, I began sending out job applications to companies in New Zealand. Every single one of them rejected me, as I didn’t have a work visa (which was ironic considering the only way I would have a visa is if they gave me a job). I almost gave up, but then I gave it one last try. I applied for a transfer within my company, which was almost unheard of.

Following months of anxiety and paperwork and waiting for people within the company to communicate with each other, my application was approved. I was ecstatic. The next few months went by in a blur, and before I knew it I found myself on a plane to New Zealand once more, a full decade after my very first trip.

It’s been six months since then, and I can honestly say I’m living my best life. Re-settling into the country after such a long time away isn’t without its challenges, but I have great friends who have been nothing but kind and helpful. In a way I feel like I’ve finally come home, to the place I love, where I hope to settle down and spend the rest of my life.

I had my big love moment when i was at work. When I got my job I was told to hide my sexuality as it would cause me to be bullied...so I did... I walked into work one day after three years of "hiding" who i was, and remaining single and lonely to keep my job, when I met my now wife. She was so damn HOT! This woman in a suit, high heels, blonde hair and green eyes was stading in my office talking to some of the managers. I put my head down and kept walking. Blushing as I walked past. I put her out of my mind because after three years of employment....it really wasn't a friendly place. It was the work I was able to achieve with children is why I stayed.

Anyway this vision of beauty ended up being the new Acting manager of one the teams in my office. I ended up having to work with her a few times and I swear black and blue she said she had a husband....she denies this...lol. One day I seen her check me out...."what was that" I thought to myself. I soon found out I was totally wrong. She had an EX-girlfriend! "EX"!!!! I thought " shit, I may have a chance here". I asked her out for a drink...I don't drink and later found out she didn't either....but I chickend out of the "catch up"...she rescheduled and made it so I couldn't back out. I fell head over her glossy red heels in love!

I wish that was the happy ending but not yet....we fell in BIG LOVE then had to tell the director so we could be open with our relationship and not hide. She was surprisingly amazing about it all and almost threw herself out the door to buy a rainbow flag...we thought...well, this may not be as bad as we thought....well, we thought too soon.

The following days, weeks and months I was bullied SO bad, My Sarah got a permanent position in the office and moved to be with me. Previous to coming out with my Sarah to those in the office, I was popular. After we came out as a couple, everything changed. I was called names, given ridiculous duties, berated I front of my peers and one day..I was locked in an office...Sarah was my ROCK! Nobody once bullied her, I was seen as the weaker one. She helped me keep a diary of everything and lifted me high everyday just with one "hows it going?" Email.

I ended up having to go on workers comp and have psychotherapy for years after from being locked in an office amongst all the other things. We soon moved and got new jobs!Now...we live happily together in Canberra!! AND we're married AND we have two beautiful dogs. It's been almost 8 years now and we are still both MADLY in love.

Writing this has been actually really good...even if mine and Sarahs Big Love doesn't win, thank you Mini for thinking up the competition. I'm going to kiss my wife now. Thanks again guys. Xo

Windows down, sunroof open, music up!  That's how I always drive my MINI across the Sydney Harbour Bridge.  It's a moment to celebrate life and It's also how I live my life nowadays.

It wasn't always like that. I grew up gay in a small, regional and conservative Queensland town. Coming out was a long hard road but part of every journey is the end.  I arrived at a point of self-acceptance in defiance of the odds and expectations... even my own.

Big Love for me is recognising all the people along the way who lifted me up, educated me, supported me and loved me. Now Big Love for me is doing the same for others in our community. Giving back through volunteering, advocating and mentoring.

Love, Michael.
X

Our Big Love story just started this summer. I met my love trough Bumble. He was chasing me for answers in the chat but I was not on the app anymore. When I opened the app I saw all this unread messages. Soon after we started dating. Dating after 40 is a trip to start with. But since day one I felt at ease with this beautiful and kind soul I know call my big Love. I would love to take him to Sydney and experience PRIDE in a proper way together. 🏳️‍🌈✈️✨💕

My BIG love story is a story with a sad ending... 12 years ago I met a fantastic guy on social media, a Dutch app named Hyves. A beautiful and sweet guy born in Syria but living in Holland for many years said to his best friends "that guy is going to be my man" and he was right after one date it was love at first sight...

And we had a wonderful relationship for 12 years and I started to share his BIG passion Fashion and he shared my passion DOGS. But the last 3 years he started working for a BIG high fashion brand and things started to change... He came more and more involved in the high society scene of the rich and famous with new friends and I was still busy with my dogs and work in healthcare...

And still don't know how and when it exactly happend but at one day my partner told me it's time to live our own lives... now 7 months later I am still in shock when I think about and the funny thing is I love him to much to be angry and love is letting GO and only wishing him the very best...

I am now at the point to enjoy life again, go a lot to the gym my other passion, enjoy time with my friends and my dogs my forever friends... Going to Sydney has always be a dream and maybe I can find a new man of my dreams....

Tony
AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS

Hey All at mini and a big hello to Maxi.

Sooooo my love story started at the age of 8 years old it was an ordinary day I was walking down Australia street in Newtown just near the cop shop with my beloved dear mother god rest her soul and we were off to the park I was so excited but then a pivot moment in my life was about to happen and pave the way to know love conquers all and all will be ok

So here we are walking and coming towards my mother and I are two guys holding hands, laughing and I look to my mother and say look mum two guys holding hands and she stops holds my hand tight and says son they are in love I hope you find that one day as well and just be as happy as those two guys, well it was that moment I knew so now forward a few decades I’m now 46 and I’ve just recently found love he completes me in every way possible and my mum is looking down on me from heaven saying I told you son. Love does find everyone this is my love story

Cheers
Trent Chippindall

My big love story starts in 2018 with a country NSW pride celebration and overly anxious 6ft 2 guy with a challenge and a dream and a secret the pride day went off with a bang.

March down the centre of town banners waving the sparkle of glitter and excited screams of children laughter and love was the sounds of the day I left the pride celebration early to start my transformation unbeknownst to most of the people in my community I had wanted to start drag for many years and this year I was so determined to bring that to fruition.

So there I am in the bathroom of my grandmothers house (I was living with her at the time) very unattractively applying Nair to every inch of my body  standing there waiting for it to melt away the hair and hopefully not my skin haha then shoving costumes hair makeup heels tights and the rest into a suitcase to be at a friends place to start the four hour process of becoming a baby drag queen they don’t lie when they say it takes a village to raise a queen with the makeup done wig in place and barely managing to stand let alone walk in heels we made it to the venue.

I walked straight into the lift up to the venue the lift doors opened to a crowed room which erupted into applause and screams of encouragement

I’d pulled it off then was convinced to perform unprepared but I did I performed the room again erupted with Applause I’d pulled it off if done it and the big love of my story was that the whole time I was performing my closet bested most amazing friend had previously worked a block of night shifts surprised me there and cried with pride and love as I performed I’ll never forget the look on her face so much big love for her

This year has been a huge year for me.

I wanted to experience being pregnant without the responsibility of raising a child and my beautiful friends so desperately wanted to be dads so I carried their precious embryo and birthed the gorgeous Ari in September of this year.

The love between the boys, Ari, my partner and myself is the greatest love imaginable.

Bringing baby Ari into a village of people who love and support him and his dads is the greatest feeling in the world

My daughter told me, that she s not always feels like a girl, neather a boy. And.. she is also not sure if she will love a girl or a boy. Such a big and important move for her to tell me that.

My reaction was; it is deffinately no problem.. if the person is always nice to you! It is such an eye-opener that a young person dare to tell and it has also changed my and frends oppinions about People. Let everybody be themselfes.. and enjoy life!!! To celeberate that i woud love to go with my Child to Australië!

To celebrate her/him and njoy life!!!! ❤️

I fell in love with Zenne (they/them), the most beautiful person in the world. They is non-binairy. When I met them I still used the pronouns she/her and not very familiar in the whole LGBTQI+ community. But Zenne introduced me to everything. I am now proud to say I am non-binairy and using the pronouns they/them and I never felt better.

Zenne and I understand eachother and know how we feel, without saying it out loud. I fell in love with them more and more everyday and I will for the rest of my life. We are now engaged to be married! We can’t wait to show our happiness and pride to everyone in Sydney.

I am 34 years old and finally took my Australian boyfriend to meet my family in Brazil this year. It is a very conservative country and it took me ages to come out to my parents and siblings. I’ve never came out to my granny, who is 91, and she had the chance to meet him this year.

My mom came to me one night and said that granny told her my boyfriend is very good looking and I have a good taste. It filled my heart with love cause I understood that was her way of letting me know it is ok.

My joungest son, 14 now. When he was 2 I think he is gay. No problem for me. He loves to play with barbies, dress up and dance. I bought him several wigs, dress up clothes and barbies.

My former friend resented that. I was making him gay. No, I let him go explore himself. So friend out🙈😄

He is now 14, several girlfriends, but still i dont no and i dont care. He had 3 years of streetdance, made it to the promoteam. Quit to take singinglessons. In musicals, on stage. And now he is excellent on the piano, theaching himself now chopin etc.

This boy goes to school with his own look and everybody loves him. He is an entertainer, dont care what anyone says. But always are people calling him names, homo, queer, etc. Why?

I would love to go with him to the parade. Be yourself, always said it.

When the covid pandemic started in March 2020, Tinder offered the Passport function for free. That’s how I met Jaime, who was living in Colombia, while I was living near Amsterdam.

Every day we talked  from when he woke up until I went to bed. After 9 months of daily talking and getting to know each other, we decided to be a couple; even though, we we are 8500 km apart.

In the summer of 2021, I traveled to meet Jaime in Colombia. It was amazing to finally be together and everything we dreamed of became reality.After another Colombia trip in November 2021, Jaime came to the Netherlands in March 2022. We lived together for three months and at the end of those three months, I asked him to marry me. He said yes and a week after he was gone. Back for three months to Colombia.

We decided on a quick wedding and got married on October 8, 2022. Now the Christmas days are coming and my husband is back in Colombia, he has to stay there for the paperwork to get through before we are able to be together again. This is a long process and can take up to half a year.

We would love to go to the pride together to be able to celebrate our love closer than 8500 km apart

Hi my name is Joyce 41 years young from Holland.

In love with the love of my life Esmay.Seven years she is a big part of my life. She is the one that saved me from a lie in my life. I came out because if I didn't I would lose her. I wasn't afraid of not be accepted by my family but I just didn't accepted myself.

Now seven years later we are trying to build a family. But its been rough both our parents have cancer. But we love eachother and stay strong.

My love story is one with the best friends ever.

We kind of forced met by starting our own pride organization. At first we where only board members of the pride in Leeuwarden. But when time passes we became really good friends.

So we are like 3 years further now En we would do it any other way. Love for us is so much more then one partner! Love for is love for each other and have it for the community to! And we have so much love to share that we still organize the pride in Leeuwarden!

So it was  2018 I had been in a gay relationship for 7 years worst relationship of my life I was controlled beaten and was to scared to leave the relationship as he told me he would kill me if I left anyway I finally left and was in a state where I was so scared I couldn’t leave my house. I thought ok Scott you can’t carry on like this

I booked a holiday to Spain on my own first time traveling on my own. Get there the weather was beautiful was just nice to relax wasn’t looking for anything or any one but I met this really sweet guy Marco one day walking to the beach well we hit it off spent all day and evening together sat on the beach until the sun came up . The rest of the two weeks we spent together .

In the October that year I moved to the Nederlands four year on and we are still going strong he is the love of my life and my soulmate.

So my girlfriend and I met 6 years ago. At the time, she didn't knew she was gay. At a party, when she had a couple of drinks, we kissed once. I loved her right from the start. But nothing happened for the next 5.5 years.

We kept in touch by texting each other every once and a while but that was it. Until April of this year. She came with some friends to an event in my hometown. And after a few drinks, she kissed me again. And she kept kissing me for the rest of the day. And again, I fell in love with her. At the end of the day she said "you're the only one who does this with me" . I think she also fell in love with me that day but she still didn't know wither she was gay or not.

From that day on, we kept seeing each other and our relationships became official in June. I love her and will always love her ❤️

My greatest love story is the story of the love I feel for my daughter.

I am lesbian, she is bi/pan sexual. She now has a boyfriend, but it could also be a woman.The love I feel for her as a mother is Hugh.

Unfortunately I can no longer work due to problems with my body. My family lives in Australia and I hope one day I can show my daughter my family and the beautiful country. So I will try to win these tickets to celebrate the pride and see my family with her.

It all starts with a druk date, 3 days before our first lockdown ever.

At the second date there was no public transport, bars closed but I really really liked that guy. After our first home date because of the lockdown, I felt in love (hehe) but he didn’t and he said that’s his mom came (it was a lie). We stayed in contact for weeks.

After I moved to his home town, Amsterdam, he asked me for a drink so I invited him to come to my rooftop the. The moment he passed the door we felt in love !! So it’s still my boyfriend

My sister,she has always been my sister but when she was born my mother left her at the hospital .I was raised by my grandmother and  when i was 6 yrs old i moved from amsterdam to sydney.

My mother told me i had a sister somewhere but that she wasnt sure if we shared the same father.Seperated bij many miles it seemed like i would never meet this mystery woman My mother went back to amsterdam an i followed her

When my mother died my sister found me! She turned out to be searching for a few years and lived in rotterdam . When we first met i knew i loved her .We got on so wel ,she accepted me as i was....unlike my brothers who didnt want a lesbian in their lives .

She inspires me and i love how we came from different backgrounds but stil share many genetic likeness. However many different loves i have in my life ...she is very special ,although ik only know her for 20 years it feels like we have never been separated.

After 41 years of thinking I was straight I have found the loveliest woman around.

We have been to Amsterdam Canal Pride and Antwerp Pride this summer. The kids love her. My ex husband trusts her. So going to Sydney with my big love would be the best. Plus, I would love to see one of my best mates again, Peter.

Back in 2000 I was the first he had come out to and in 2020 I did the same to him. As he lives in Toowoomba QLD he will definitely travel to Sydney when he knows I’m there! It would be lovely to introduce him to my girlfriend.

We met online after a long search. We spoke for like 2 weeks and decided to meet. He called in sick the day of the event. I did not believe him but he texted me do reschedule for next week. So we met next week in the big city. We went for a couple of drinks. Then all of the sudden my ex girlfriend walked in en sat at the table next to us…. How embarrassing she did not even know i was gay at that moment. I felt uncomfortable and he noticed. He immediately noticed and ask for the bill(he payed:))

There was a carnaval in the city so we went on rides and played games all day. He had another appointment at 6 o’clock, but we had so much fun that day so he called his work and canceled it so we could see each other all day and night! After being together for over 12 hours. We both went home. He gave me a kiss at the train station. And we have been together for over 9 years now.

Went with my son (1 week before his 18th birthday) to a concert of Lady GaGa. I enjoyed to see him "being himself" singing..dancing...:"I was born this way" My heart just melted...

Two days later the word was out, I already knew it, we hughed,I told him that I love him so much. Since then Lady GaGa's song "Hold my hand" gives me tears. It's the love for my beautiful son, and the great time we had at the concert.💞🏳️‍🌈

I met my husband almost 15 years ago, on his birthday party. When I wanted to introduce myself to him, we looked each other in the eye, and we knew that it was love at first sight.

After 3 weeks of chatting, I asked him to be my boyfriend. But my parents didn't accept this relationship because it was with a man. So he saw the situation was making me depressed. That was the moment he wanted me to move in with him, only 6 weeks after our first meeting.

With a lot of good, and bad things, we married in June 2019, and now since September 18, we are proud daddy's of our beautiful son Djayden

That my best friend, who I know from kindergarten, told me about 8 years ago that he was attracted to men. I was the first one he told and I was so happy for him that he could finally share it.

Fast forward, he and his boyfriend just became father and they are going to be the best parents ever. I’m just so happy for him, to see him so happy.

The story about my 2 rainbow kids.

I have 2 children of the ages 3 and 11. My 11 year old boy has always played with girl toys and has a huge LOL surprise collection and he loves to dance in dresses. My 3 year old girl is crazy for dinosaurs and says she is Spiderman..

They both have other fathers sadly. But they are proud of Who they are. They both wanted rainbows in their rooms, they even have chosen a rainbow doormat for our front door. And I am loving it. My BIG love is and forever will be my 2 rainbow baby's

When I finally came to term that I was Gay, it was already to late..why too late? I never got to share this with my mother as she was struggling in the last stage of colon cancer. The day after that she passed I came out to my Sisters, whom already knew and fully supported me without questioning. As time passed by I came out to friends who really are part of my family now. Seven months after my Mom passed away, I met my now Husband at the airport in Aruba. I was doing my internship at the Airport as I was in my final year of the university and he was working there full time in PR & Communications.

Even though we already met the year before during a show around at the airport, it was strictly business for me. However, I found myself needing to reach out to him for information I needed for my internship. Before I knew it, the flirting started and me wanting to impress him opened Google Translate and wrote a sentence and translated it into french. *Clicks Send* and off the email went. Within 1 minute I get a response back, IN FRENCH! Panic mode was activated as I started google translating everything back into english for me to understand and respond hahaha. This was the start of what is currently almost a 10 year relationship, of which 6 married.

I always say that you find the right people along your path at the right moment. When I met my husband, I was still processing my mothers loss, and even though I had many difficult moments, my husband has really been the brightness in most dark days and together we have accomplished so much. This year, we decided to move to the Netherlands to pursue bigger dreams and ambitions and to continue living our true selves in true european fasion, by celebrating every moment, every day and every thing, nothing in life is too MINI too celebrate.

The love I receive from my parents. My parents always told me it didn’t matter if I would come home with a guy or a girl, as long as I would be happy.

To my boyfriend, they have always seen hem as their own sun. I’m now together with my boyfriend for more than 15 years and they have always been so open and welcome to him. I would wish that ever kid would receive the love I’m receiving from my parents every day.

I met the love of my life in the train, 8 years ago. Both just finished a long day of school. We were sitting in front of each other and just smiled awkward to each other.

Than the people across the path were joking and we both had to laugh. Since than, we are together always.

Still love traveling with the train!

Love comes at all times, in all shapes and in all colors!

RED: the color of the hart,

ORANGE: the view of the sky in the late evening,

YELLOW: the warmthe of the sunshine,

BLUE: the endlessness of the blue sky,

GREEN: fresh new branches of plants,

PURPLE: purple hyacints are my favoriete flowers,

PINK: healthy skin of people,

Enjoy love!

Lots of love, Sandra

My story is that i’m Not sure what i am. I feel sometimes like a boy and sometimes like a girl. I know about non- binary. But i’m not sure how to call myself. I love boys but I don’t know if i love girls aswell.

Not everyone accept me, my parents don’t really know what i am and don’t know what todo with me. My best friend accept me for who i am and doesn’t care.

My Boyfriend does the same he is did think he would be inlove with a person who maybe wants to be a boy. So he tells me that he is pan and he put my flag up on the wall❤️ I love him so much. He is the sweetest just like my bestfriend. I want them forever in my life!

Thats my story its really difficult but.. some of you will understand.

In 1999 I searched and found my biology parents.  I was 27 and I found out I got all my traits and character traits from them and not my adoptive parents who raised me for 27 years.  I had an identity crisis and got to a point in my life where I thought, 'where am I in this whole story.  I had to be the nice daughter, good employee, nice family member etc. but who was I?  what did I stand for in my life?  

Because a new century was coming, I decided to completely change course.  My wish was to return to the basics, to my birth, to 0 and then to build myself up the way I want to be, the way I want to live.  No longer the way others wanted me to live.  It was a whole process to empty my entire backpack and get to 0 but when I got there I could start thinking about who I am and what I stand for in my life.  

I have made agreements with myself about what I do and do not want and evaluate myself daily.  That too has been a process but life is 1 big lesson and because of the people who crossed my path, the books I read, sometimes the movies I watched, I manage to do that to this day.  I am a happy person in my deepest soul and I love myself.  That makes life a lot easier, I can handle a lot more, I learn daily and I love me.  Which has led me to love others but because of my way of thinking it also makes it lonely.  Because I love myself I am confident, I know myself very, very well and that comes across as arrogant and narcissistic.  Fortunately I know who and how I am and I wish everyone happiness in themselves and self love!

Back in 2009 (tells you how old I am), I moved to London, basically on a whim. I checked into a backpacker's hostel where I ended up in the "long termers' dorm".

One of my housemates at the hostel was an Australian woman whom I initially found to be found very loud and present. I also thought she should be been more careful with that blonde hair dye. So initially we did not really connect until one night she told me she liked my shoes and said she was on her way to Maccas. Did I want to join? It was 11pm and I had nothing else to do so I joined. As we enjoyed our French fries, we could talking and only left when staff kicked us at 4pm because they were closing for the day.

Over the next couple of months we hung out very often. I don't think she ever realized how much I learned about myself by getting to know her, it was fantastic. Until some communication error happened and I figured out the reason why that got me so upset was because I had actually fallen in love with her. In the end I decided to tell her to clear things up but it only made things more awkward. We did have an unforgettable last few days before she moved back to Aus.

Fast forward 14 years and I am now back in my home country of the Netherlands as well. We have seen each other a couple of times in the meantime and are otherwise on a 'Christmas card' and 'occasional what's app convo' routine. So we never entered an actual relationship but I do look back on our time in London with a lot of love and I know that I will always have a great, great friend on the other side of the world.

“Love wins”. We have all heard this slogan before, right? Here I am to give you a real-time testimony on how that can look like.

This is how me, and the man I can happy refer to as the big love of my life, met. From two totally different background, cultures and even countries but yet so similar. Get cozy and let me bring you back.

It was by chance: Me, Lucas, got invited by my friend Josh to join him and his friends to a party. It was after the covid restriction just had eased in Madrid and you could touch the excitement in the air of people finally getting back to normality. I was single, in my early twenties, and completely new in a big city. My feelings where mixed, as a gay man growing up in a conservative christian family on the country-side of southern Sweden, I was beyond stocked to now live a life on my own conditions. Away from the resentment of my family. On the other hand I was frightened. Frightened for the unknown. How would this new life look like? Would I finally find perfect peace after years of struggling with my identity as a gay man?

And then there was Burak, Turkish born boy living in The Netherlands. Also he coming from a world where resenting who you truly are had been a battle, similar to mine. Here is where it gets tricky, one would think. But from the moment they glanced eyes on each other, they knew they where meant to be together.

I met Burak on the 28th of September, 2021 at that party in Madrid. And we laughed and danced endlessly. Burak later returned to Madrid with a one-way ticket to explore more about what this could be, we both knew that this could be something very unique. After months of long-distance courtship, I came to settle with him in Amsterdam. And amids whatever worry about how the future for us would look like together, I look at Burak and think, “Whatever the unforeseeable future brings, I know I want him in in. No matter the cost.” We would love, meet new people, travel, laugh, and gather more air miles than any couple could have. And when the tides were rough, we squeezed each other tighter. From here on to forever and the everlasting knowing that, above all, “love wins”.

For 20 years you fell literially in my arms. It was that day 17 below zero. We were just talking. Youre were freezing cold and invited you for a thee at home we kept talking and now ...

You would be here in Holland for one year to study dutch.And now we live 20 years together and we are 5 year married. you are really mi medio Naranja. my half Orange. My spanish half of me Angel what will life be without you.

besitos y abrazos kisses and hugs my love Alex

Nine years before my father died I was living with my parents in my small town on the NSW North Coast. I was slowly, secretly coming out as a 19 year old gay man, starting to contact other gay men in the area.

I had started actually going on dates as ‘friends’ to restaurants, RSL clubs and to my fairly new, older boyfriend’s house.

One Friday night, well before midnight, I was dropped off in front of my house by my date.

I tried to sneak in but my mother was waiting. I had not come out yet but she knew my date, had heard rumours about him and finally realised I was now not likely to ever date a nice girl from the bank or supermarket.

After many minutes of her screaming in worry through the house, including hysteria over safe sex as this was 1990, she yelled at my half-asleep father to talk to me about the drama- to join her in being shocked at the terrible news that I was definitely gay.

Dad lifted his tired head off the pillow. From the half darkness his gentle voice just asked: “Do you love him?”

That brief chat sticks with me as one of the clearest moments of unconditional love I have ever felt.

Even still.

Being from a country town where everyone knows everyone it’s not easy to just come out and be yourself as a LGBTQ person. I spent my early 20s pretending to be someone I wasn’t to keep my family happy and date guys because that’s what everyone else was doing and I didn’t want to be the odd one out.

After realising that I wasn’t happy and that’s not who I was and eventually getting the courage to tell my family that I liked girls and then being told that it was a phase and my mum to say “what did I do for this to happen” I entered a dark sad time and decided I had to move away from all of that to find my true self and be comfortable with myself.

Once I moved I started to try dating apps and have women only and I started to feel alive when I had dates. About a year after moving away from my family and finding myself I met an incredible woman who I dated for two years. During that time I felt more myself than I ever had, I was dressing more masc and the support I had from my partner was amazing. She let me be me and although we didn’t work out, I will never forget the way she made me feel at the time that I was finding myself and the encouragement and support she gave me to not worry about what anyone else thought.

It’s been a few years since that break up, I’m still single but I am more myself than I have ever been. I love myself! I love who I have become and I love being a lesbian!

The way I met my husband.

It was April 2017 and I was visiting Brisbane (from NZ) for a friend's wedding. After a few drinks one night, I decided to download Tinder and decided what's the worst that could happen?! I matched with a few people and had conversations with possible 3.

Luke, messaged me and right from the 1st message when he told me he was fumigating his flat, I knew he was real and down to earth. Luke was keen to meet that day but unfortunately I had to break the bad news and tell him I was flying home that day (he had no idea I lived in NZ)

We stayed in contact for a few months, then lost touch before a message one day from Luke asking if we could talk again, brightened my day. We spent the next few months spending hours on the phone to each other, flying back between countries a crazy 7 times in 2 months!

Before I made the move and left NZ to move to Australia. I moved into Luke's flat, we have since bought our first house and finally got married in 2021 after covid ruined our original date.

He is the love of my love and my absolute soulmate and I'm so lucky to have met him.

My big love story features myself and then finding my love of my life, my wife.

I came out of the closet at 21, afraid of coming out to my very conservative greek religious family.

I was lucky to have a surprisingly loving response. I then had to learn to accept myself after hating myself for not liking men like my cousins and my friends.

I began to love myself then met the love of my life and married her in a country town up the north coast.

My whole greek religious family attended!

Love is love ❤️

My big love story is the brave step I made to leave Fiji and migrate to NZ in 2002. I left my loving family, my friends ,my pets , my home which gave me love snd security . 21 years later , I am now in love with this beautiful country called New Zealand.

I found the live of friends and family again.i build a place called hime with 2 dogs and 4 cats . These fur babies give me endless love .  Austrslia and NZ gave me the opportunity to explore the diversity of LOVE. I embraced the opportunity to give and receive love in various forms like culture , colour, gender, age.

I learnt one this in this many years that love is unconditional ... and this the secret to my day to day perceptive to see the world . Sydney is beautiful ... and to win this prize will make me fall in love more with this amazing city of diversity, colours, fun ❤️❤️❤️

me and my fiancee have been together for 10 years, since highschool. We are still young, but we have been through so much together. Our relationship has survived homophobic parents and two gender transitions. Its crazy to think that we started as "the only lesbians in highschool" and are now two gay men   on the road to marriage.

It was instant connection, and has been a lifetime of joy.

Glad to share many more years together

I love you my stink bug!!

self love.

I grew up with lots of criticism coming from my parents, had a horrible time in high school, often felt lonely, and later experienced verbal/ emotional abuse by family. I grew up with years of hating myself and constantly criticising myself on things I cannot do.

This year I have decided to forgive myself, to consistently see a therapist, and to speak positive affirmations, as I honestly want to manifest good things in my life and positive experiences I can say I'm proud of.

Accepting the past still isn't easy today, in fact it haunts me in my dreams, but I still continue to push on with the hope that some day I would have accumulated everything I once wished for.

My big love story is about the most amazing man I have ever met.

I used to be a big muscle Mary, who had 10 failed relationships, followed by their heart wrenching breakups prior to meeting him. Unbeknown to him, I was trapped and hiding in a prison of masculinity, unable to truly be myself.

We had a beautiful 3 year relationship.

Towards the end I gradually came to terms with my actual gender, and came out to him as trans. Though our romantic and sexual relationship ended there, our relationship in general transitioned to that of each other's closest family member, next of kin, a different kind of soulmate.

He looks after me and protects me fiercely, always encouraging me to finally be myself. My real family also sees this and has also adopted him as one of them. He also encouraged me to utilise my performance skills and get into drag, which I quickly started to do well at.

I'm finally on the right path in life and I'm going through it with something I wish everyone could have.

Happy Mardi Gras

My story involves Internet dating. It was 2007 and I was very skeptical of the whole thing. Two of my friends from overseas though, had met their husbands on a site called e-harmony and were always urging me to try it.

Back then, I was here in NZ on a working holiday visa and using Internet cafes to communicate with people. After catching up with family online, I left to walk home but it was bucketing down outside. I didn't fancy getting soaked to the skin so I went inside and decided to browse this e-harmony website. Two hours later and $30 US poorer, I had signed up for the minimum period of three months. I wasn't very hopeful and soon forgot all about it.

On the very last day of my membership, I received an email to say "Tony from Auckland would like to chat with you" and that's where my love story begins. The site was extremely safe and no personal details were exchanged-we were both asked a series of more questions and could only contact each other through the site. When I finally decided I'd like to meet Tony in person, I discovered he was actually working in America for two months setting up a factory! More chatting online ensued.

Meanwhile, my visa was running out and I'd planned to teach English in S. America. I met Tony in person as soon as he returned to Auckland and decided to just go on holiday there instead. I got another visa and... four years later, we got married! It still always amazes us of the chances of me, an Irish lass, meeting someone from the other side of the world. My friends were right to encourage me!

I was in the closet until I went to University and so scared of my mum finding out. My mum is my everything and I thought she would not accept me.

I met a boy I love and introduced him to my family. My mum did cry but not because I was gay but because she was sad that I couldn’t be my true self with her for the first 20 years of my life.

My message is that when your parents love you, they will love you no matter who you love. Xx

My daughter who is now 11 decided a year ago let us know that she doesn't have an interest in boys.  She told me while I was at work and she  thought I was going to be mad.  Someone had told her that if she came out to us that we would kick her out of home.  

After expressing the way she felt she asked if we wanted her to pack her things and to call her nanna to come and get her.  We told her she can love whom ever she wants to as long as they show her the same love and respect back.  Both my husband and I have friends that date or are married to the same sex, so I don't know who put it in her head that we would not be accepting of her.

Been given the chance to host my own radio show at koori radio 93.7fm called party shuffle when i have a disability and being able to show Australia and the world that people with a disability can do anything people without a disability can do. Maybe even do it better. So thanks koori radio 93.7fm

That being so open with my kids, my oldest daughter had no fear to come out to me at age 17 (is 19 now) and because of her being do brave, I was also able to open up my own bisexual feelings, having a loving boyfriend who gave me the room to explore opened up a whole new world to both of us and we are still all happy together, me and my bf and my beautiful daughter and her girlfriend

Once i was a fashiondesigner participating in a tv show called Project Catwalk to make it BIG in the fashionworld. The moment i walked in the studio i fell in love with my competitor. We both didn’t win the show but won eachothers LOVE! We are together now for almost 12 years and working on fashion together ❤️

Our lovestory started 6 years ago. I bumped into a guy (drunk) at a local Pride event. He fell in love immediately. I didn't because.. well I already said it.. I was drunk. Months later we bumped into each other again and we decided to grab a drink. It was the first of many dates... and we became boyfriends. Now, 6 years later we're married and still very happy :)

Finding myself at the age of 30. The biggest love I found is me, and knowing I am gay. All my missing pieces came together. My heart was whole now. The greatest love was happening to me!