51 Years Together, 2 Years Married - pic

[Kadie]

Paul McMahon, left, and his husband Ralph Hodgdon of Boston pose with a sign outside the Massachusetts Statehouse in Boston Thursday, Nov. 9, 2006 as state lawmakers convene to decide whether to support or sink a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

[VelmaD]

1. they have been together longer than my parents...

who will celebrate their 43rd wedding anniversary in about a month. That is impressive.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

2. Beautiful couple!

May we all know that kind of love.

[Lurking Dem]

3. What a sweet couple!

And what a testament to the power of love! 51 years!

[trumad]

5. Hide the kids Darlene... here they come

[Lurking Dem]

10. My kid said it best

when I asked him what people thought they were "protecting marriage" from? He sarcastically replied, "Rampaging hordes of monogamous gays."

[Dora]

45. Good one!

Smart kid.

[bobbolink]

46. clever kid!

Tell him I said he owes me a monitor!

:rofl: :hi:

[Lurking Dem]

53. Will do!

Soda or booze? :)

[LostinVA]

56. Tell him I am soooo stealing that!

[Chorophyll]

70. Your kid might just be

hosting the Daily Show when Jon Stewart retires!! :)

[Lurking Dem]

74. He might be producing it.

He's a 17 year old sophomore at SCAD majoring in film/broadcasting right now.

He used to post here about 4 or 5 years ago as ACLYouth.

[hippiechick]

4. Wow! That's amazing !!

... that anyone can stay together that long, is an art.

Congrats to them!! :applause:

[meegbear]

6. Duck and Cover!!

It's the gays!

[Dhalgren]

7. What a great looking couple! They are a genuine tribute to the real

ties of true human love and companionship. My wife and I will be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary in December, so I know what longevity is and how hard it can be, but 51 years? Hat's off to 'em! :hi:

[Kadie]

37. Congratulations on 30 years together!

Happy Anniversary! (just a little early) :)

:hi:

[Dhalgren]

58. Thank you very much! I would say that my wife is a saint for putting

up with me for all these years, but it would seriously piss her off to be called a saint. So, needless to say, I won't say it... :D

[xchrom]

8. so if jerry falwell looks at this --

will he automatically get divorced?

[BOSSHOG]

9. How many marriages have these two ruined?

How many baptist churches have been burned to the ground because of these two evil libruls? The morals of the "christian" right are threatened by these two guys who obviously love each other very much. Wow, what does that say about America?

[FlaGranny]

12. What it says that is

some folks' moral values are on very shaky ground if they can be threatened by these two gentlemen. Sigh!

[SouthernBelle82]

28. That's my question too

:shrug: How can what someone does in California or some other state effect a marriage in Texas or Alabama? What about "liberty and justice for all" don't people get? Some of these "Christian's" need to read Matthew 5:37.

[bobbolink]

48. More than you can count, I'm sure.

What does it say about America?

That it's rotten to the core?

Same with the lack of concern about poverty... rotten, rotten, rotten.

We're a bunch of sickos.

[proud patriot]

11. Their Love and commitment inspire my love and commitment

in my Marriage. :loveya:

[Horse with no Name]

13. I wonder how many marriages they have ruined

because they lived together.:sarcasm:

[kmla]

40. Well, just looking at that picture made my marriage license burst into flames.

:eyes: Gosh, didn't yours?

[Horse with no Name]

41. I'm a Godless liberal

I would marry my cat but it isn't legal.

[Dinger]

14. Beautiful!

I sure hope I look that good when I've been married 51 years, if I make it that is!

[Crankie Avalon]

15. Well, if getting married doesn't finally make them get tired of each other, nothing will!!!

Congratulations to them. I couldn't imagine 51 years with anybody--not all in row, at least! :D

[Mabus]

16. Isn't that what it is really about?

Love between two people is one of the most beautiful things in this world. I'm sure they've had their share of hardships and disappoints - just like any other married couple.

What a wonderfully beatiful picture. I hope they have many more years together.

[stop the bleeding]

17. and HAPPY

do people get IT yet?????

[xultar]

18. Righties are jealous of love like this.

[AIJ Alom]

34. You're right. Love that they desire but cannot have because they

either a) pretend to be straight and a homophobe, or b) are extremely curious, hence I like to refer to them as the Re:PUBIC party. Preoccuppied with people's sex lives and the wombs of women.

[Chorophyll]

71. You are correct.

I firmly believe that all this anti-Gay, anti-woman, anti-abortion & birth control stuff is fueled by some really unhealthy feelings about sex in general. The righties are sad little people.

[TayTay]

19. You know, this isn't an issue here

Most people have moved on on this. Marriage Equality is a fact of life, it is an ordinary event, it is just part of what is.

I wish I could convey to you how much of a non-issue this in in Mass. It has come to the point where a lot of people can no longer remember what all the fuss was about, because it's just not a problem. (At all.)

Sigh!

[MuseRider]

20. That is so wonderful!

Makes me well up and I don't well up easily.

This is how it should be. This is what we must work for. Nobody should be denied the right to be together and happy like this.

Thanks for the picture, it is awfully nice to see.

[Kadie]

38. .

:hi:

[Fleshdancer]

21. WOW! More than half a century together? and they still like each other?

If that isn't reason enough for them to be married, then I don't know what is. What a beautiful couple. :)

[applegrove]

22. How cute is that!

[ceile]

23. Put a smile on my face.

I don't who you are, 51 years together is a long time. Definitely true love. Who are we to tell them they're wrong?!

[WinkyDink]

24. God bless'em, I say!

[keepCAblue]

25. Simply beautiful.

My partner and I were married in San Fran, Feb. 19, 2004. We're still hoping that, one day, the courts will legalize our vows and allow us the joy and validation which has been too long denied.

Congratulations to Paul and Ralph on their long, loving union. I wish them many, many more years together.

[wicket]

26. Beautiful.

I love my state!!!!

[SouthernBelle82]

27. That's pretty cool

If only other people could see that down here in the south. *Sigh*

[Xenotime]

29. Beautiful. People like these are the future of America.

[ComerPerro]

30. damn that is a long time

[Blue State Blues]

31. Awwwwww! Sweet.

And amazingly, my marriage hasn't been harmed one bit by theirs. Who knew?

[Kerrytravelers]

32. They lasted longer than Brittany Spears and Jessica Simpson's marriages.

Who wouldda thunk it? Looks like the sanctity of marriage is alive and well with this beautiful couple of 51 years!

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

33. DAMN YOU!!!! Now my marriage is all fucked up.

:sarcasm:

[Lugnut]

35. Wow!

51 years is some record. Way to go guys!

DH and I have 40 under our belt that was in no way threatened by Paul and Ralph.

[semillama]

36. I'm getting married in Mass. next year

and we were still able to book a place for the ceremony/reception, so even that tongue in cheek joke about it being that much harder to reserve a hall doesn't hold water.

[knitter4democracy]

39. Aren't they the cutest couple?

This is why we need civil rights for all Americans--why shouldn't they have been married for the entire time?

[Arugula Latte]

43. They are soooo very cute!

:loveya:

[Deja Q]

42. The exception. Not the rule.

I wish I could say something different. :(

I am happy for them, however.

[NMMNG]

62. Speak for yourself

There are plenty of gay/lesbian couples who have had lengthy, monogamous relationships. I know of one couple that has been together for 14 years now and they are still going strong. Another has been together for 10 with no signs of discord.

There are plenty of success stories out there.

[Sapphocrat]

65. You took the words right out of my head, BTFS.

Sign me,

Six Years, Seven Months, 20 Days, and Counting


On edit: typo

[bunny planet]

44. Inspirational love and commitment

thanks for posting

[bigwillq]

47. Good for them.

:bounce:

[terrya]

49. Why in God's name do some people see that as threatening?

That picture is...love. Honor. Committment.

I just don't understand why some people want to pass a consitutional amendment to ban...love.

I only hope that my partner and I can share as many years of love as Ralph and Paul.

[ThomCat]

50. I have no idea why that scares people.

:shrug:

I hope you and your partner have that many years together in love and happiness too! :hug:

[Gregorian]

60. Because it's different.

I started out as a left handed writer. That was not tolerable. I had to write with my right hand. So they CHANGED me.

A kid in my fifth grade class had slightly long hair. He was forced to leave until he cut it. (1967, when we all had crew cuts)

It's not just this country. But it seems that we have it in a serious way. Don't speak out. Don't be different. Go with the flow.

I was really shocked the other day when it suddenly donned on me that I used to be a left hander. Because I wondered what else about myself is not ME, that was changed.

To be honest, difference is all there is.

My scout master was gay, and lived with a man. This was 1969. And to this day, they still live together. And it was totally normal, to me.

[Sapphocrat]

51. Beautiful!

That'll leave a smile on my face for the rest of the day. :) Thanks for posting it.

[ivycat]

52. we should all be so lucky

to have the life that these two have had together.

[Kadie]

61. Welcome to DU ivycat!

:hi:

[Obamarama]

54. HOW SICKENING.....

That there are some people who will see that picture and say "how sickening."

51 years! Wow! Paul & Ralph are role models for people like my partner and I (hitting 18 years this year!). Godspeed to them.

[Erechtheides]

55. That is beautiful. (n/t)

[Jamastiene]

57. Those two could show married straight couples how it's done.

Now, THAT is an example of longevity in a relationship.

[malaise]

59. An amazing photo and story n/t

[NMMNG]

63. How many straight couples make it that long these days?

Maybe that's how they fear gay marriage will ruin traditional marriage--by showing them up. :rofl:

[Nicole]

64. Congrats to Paul and Ralph!

:toast:

[orleans]

66. this will be the thing that finally breaks them up: marriage.

seems to do it so often

(but that's just me talking--someone who can't stand to be in a relationship longer than one year!)

[Pastiche423]

67. They met when I was 12 months old

and are still in love w/each other.

I am envious.

Thank you for posting this beautiful picture.

K & R

[Dystopian]

68. So very heartwarming......thank you....k&r n/t

[Kadie]

72. .

:hi:

:kick:

[Tatiana]

69. Awwwwwww. They are so cute! And they look so happy! n/t

[Lydia Leftcoast]

73. What I've noticed in 30 years of observing gay and lesbian couples is

that on an emotional level, they're EXACTLY THE SAME as straight couples.

I've seen the giggly, can't-keep-their-eyes-off-each-other excitement of new love.

I've seen playful negotiations and petty arguments about moving in together.

I've seen "boring old married couples" who have settled into a quiet routine of jobs, housework, and gardening.

I've heard a woman talk about how hard it was when her partner, a professor, had to go overseas to do research, and she, with no legal standing, couldn't go over except on short-term tourist visas.

I've seen foreign academics who came to this country, fell in love with an American colleague, and chose to live underground as illegal alliens rather than return to their home countries.

I've seen acrimonious break-ups that made each partner crazy and vindictive and prompted an attorney friend to say, "This kind of madness is why I got out of divorce law."

I've seen a man break down sobbing as he revealed that his partner of 25 years had inoperable cancer.

It's all the same.

Jon Stewart had a great line when Melissa Etheridge was on his show a year or two ago. He asked her facetiously, "If gay marriage is approved, do I have to divorce my wife and marry a man?...No? So what's the problem then?"

[Beelzebud]

75. 51 years. Thats almost a year for every Limbaugh divorce!

[NoSheep]

76. That is a beautiful photo. They look so in love still!

[Ian_rd]

77. FIFTY-ONE YEARS! OMG! Talk about family values, Man! Woooo!