Philly’s Happiest Gay Couples

Paul Blore (30) + Marquise Lee (32)

Blore is the executive assistant of the William Way LGBT Community Center and is involved with many community organizations. Lee works in video operations at Comcast and is the editor and director of the videos on I’m From Driftwood, an online compendium of real stories by LGBTQ people from around the world. The pair hosts the monthly NSFW Dance Party at the Trestle Inn; the next one is on June 27th. They’ve been together for more than a year.

P: “We didn’t really have a first date because we knew each other for a year before we started officially dating. We met downstairs at the Ruby Lounge at Voyeur. We were dancing next to each other, but still not talking to each other.”

M: “Eventually I said, ‘Hi, I’m Marquise.’”

P: “And I said, ‘It took you long enough.’”

M: “He has his own look and movements. If you ever see him on the dance floor, that’s always fun and amazing. We’re on the same page as far as what we’re into. But he’s more brutal than I am; I’m more subtle.”

P: “Marquise is really energetic. Somehow he’s able to go out most nights and still get up and work a long day, and sometimes I can’t keep up. He portrays himself as shy or subtle, but he’s a social butterfly.”

M: “We really enjoy getting out of the Gayborhood and like to be able to have fun on our own. I like to travel. We have a couple of vacations coming up to Austin, Portland, New Orleans.”

P: “We just moved in together.”

M: “And we’re considering working on a few new film projects together.”