2026 Love List

Tsim Muaj & Cia Siab Rose Moua, Madison, 5.5 years
Rosha & Melissa Guadalupe, Milwaukee, 4 years
Jess & Skye Zitkus, Madison, 8 years
Stephanie & Cindy Jorenby, Belleville, 8 years
Scott & Micah Topel, Beaver Dam, 6.5 years
Alisha Hart & Junior Rittenhouse, Muskego, 2 years

I met my partner at the beginning of the pandemic, during a time when the world felt especially quiet and lonely. We didn’t meet the usual way. We met online, through a Facebook space created by older queer folks who wanted us to stay connected when everything else shut down. At first, it was awkward. Really awkward. But it was also honest. We found it easy to talk about politics, values, and the kind of world we wanted to live in. That kind of alignment mattered to both of us, and it still does.

We both do movement work. She’s a director at Black and Brown Women Power Coalition, and I organize with Freedom, Inc. Our work focuses on domestic violence, sexual assault, and building power for Black, brown, and Southeast Asian communities. A lot of people think that kind of work would be exhausting to bring home, but for us, it’s grounding. We’re always teaching each other, always growing. Being in a relationship has taught me what healthy love can look like, especially as a queer trans person who didn’t always see that modeled growing up.

We live in Madison now, and we’ve built a life that feels rooted in community. One of the things I love most about us is how much we love to host. We cook for people who need a place to land, whether they’re friends, family, or community members going through something hard. Food, for us, is care. It’s how we show love. Our home is rarely quiet, except when it’s just us and our little Karen dog, who somehow runs the whole house.

Family has been complicated for me. There’s still pushback from my side, even now. But her family has embraced me, and that has meant more than I can say. When you’re queer and trans, you learn that family doesn’t always come from where you expect it. Sometimes it’s chosen. Sometimes it grows toward you slowly and stays.

We’ve been together almost six years, and we’re engaged now, planning a wedding that feels less about tradition and more about intention. We talk a lot about wanting to model a healthy relationship for younger LGBTQ+ folks, especially youth who might not see themselves reflected anywhere else. If our love can show them that care, commitment, and joy are possible, then that feels like another kind of organizing.