TESTIMONIALS
"First Comes Love is more than a book of beautiful photography, it's an essential document. It testifies to a moment in history that all of us made possible and none of us will ever forget--when our community left the closet for good, and equality finally became a mainstream American value."
- Chad Griffin,
President, Human Rights Campaign
"First Comes Love has it right: It's the faces and stories of real people that open hearts and minds and pave the way to legal and social change. And first comes love--the love that enriches our lives and the love that sparks the passion and commitment to bring the change needed. These beautiful images and stories are not just to look at, they are to be inspired by."
- Evan Wolfson
President, Freedom to Marry
"Barbara Proud’s “First Comes Love” is a work of singular emotional weight and useful purpose. Those misguided enough to still resist the idea of marriage equality would be well served to spend time with this book. It exists as incontrovertible proof that the institution of marriage is alive and well and in very good hands indeed in the same sex relationships depicted. Love trumps everything. Always has. Always will."
-Jock Sturges, artist/photographer
"Barbara Proud's book- FIRST COMES LOVE- lets us peer into the intimate lives of strangers...and share their joy. Her photographs of long term LGBT couples are beautifully observed and yet the binding element isn't gender, or gender preference, as much as true bonding. Proud's eye is involved, tender and generous. Her vision is a moving testament to love, which has unfolded over time and acquired poise. The biographies attached to the portraits allow a personal appreciation of the various subjects and the Foreword by living national treasure, Edie Windsor, sets off the work to heartwarming advantage. I can't imagine a nicer gift."
-Adrian Brooks
Author, The Right Side of History
"When I first saw these portraits a few years ago, it seemed a beautiful, thoughtful, but ultimately quixotic project—the larger world just didn’t seem to care too much about love between same-sex couples. Yet now it seems like Barbara Proud was the prescient one. The tide of history has moved swiftly, bringing astounding changes, all very much influenced by a broader appreciation for long-term love and commitment in the LGBTQ community. With these portraits, Proud has captured the human component of a remarkable period of social transformation."
- Martin H. McNamara
Director, Gallery 339
"While there is no one perfect recipe for a perfect relationship, 'First Comes Love,' is like an amazing cookbook with delicious recipes that have survived for many years. We are delighted to know that we will be a part of the collection of couples showcased in a book like First Comes Love. These are unions that have survived prior to marriage equity or religious sanctions; we are couples who have survived because of our unconditional love and unwavering commitment to each other; we are couples who defined for ourselves the morals and terms of our relationship. Readers of 'First Comes Love' will see reflected the diversity of couples within the LGBTQ community."
- ABilly and Chris, together 36 years