Extraordinary People

The theme for the 8^th Annual SC Black Pride is “Now That We Have Love…” We have discovered a handsome, loving couple of two guys that have asked themselves this question and have answered by saying, “We’ll get married.”

Robert Lee and Corey Lambert-Gibson got married Washington, DC on July 18. 2012. They have South Carolina roots though for now they are living a long distance marriage with the plans of being together very soon. Robert is in Tokyo, Japan in the military and Corey is in Columbia, SC in the field of corrections. We took a moment to ask them about their lives, their love, and dreams in order to be inspired by these extraordinary, everyday black gay men.

SCBP: So, what is your career or career goals?

Corey: My career goal is to become employed with the CIA. I'm currently a correctional officer with the state's correctional system.

Robert: …And my career goal is to become a lawyer in Civil Rights Law.

SCBP: How would you describe yourself – what do others love about you?

Corey: I would describe myself as quiet, observant, intelligent, confident, trustworthy, funny, and hardworking. I would say that everyone loves my ability to make things into a joke and turn a bad situation around.

Robert: I would describe himself as someone who is outspoken, confident, loyal, trustworthy, witty, and caring. Everyone loves that I will give them the raw truth whether they like it or not. (laughs)

SCBP: So, how did the two of you meet?

Corey: We met through Facebook. I messaged Robert a couple of times because I thought he was very attractive and wanted to get to know him. He didn't respond back a couple times but I was very persistent (laughs). He finally messaged me back and we would speak through Facebook and on the phone regularly. We finally met a couple weeks later and there was an instant connection between us at that exact moment.

SCBP: What do the two of you have in common that makes your relationship work?

Robert: We have the ability to takes things in stride, work together, and get over them quickly. We never hold grudges against each other. We understand that we don't have the time to worry about the small stuff and stay mad at each other. We only have a short amount of time on this Earth and we would rather spend it loving each other.

SCBP: How do you work through your differences (like all couples have to)?

Corey: We argue, fuss, and talk them out like any other couple. Once we finish, there's no more of an issue for the most part. We take the time to understand each other's points, apologize if necessary, and take the steps we need to try to not cross that bridge again. We get over it and move on.

SCBP: What advice would you give to young women and men who are looking for someone to love?

Robert: My advice would be to not get so wrapped up and caught up in the dating world (i.e. BGC, Adam4Adam, Facebook, Grindr, etc) and just live your life.

~Todd Shaw, Editor for SCBP Extraordinary, Everyday People