Sitting close together on the sofa of their townhouse in a sub-division of High Point, North Carolina, Robert "Bob" Hudson and life partner William "Billy" Muncy describe their lives and the family that sustains them. They speak softly while a whirl of activity persists in the background from siblings, in-laws, children, and the family dog.

Hudson, 56, is a retired military intelligence officer. Muncy, 46, is a retired hairdresser and salon owner. The couple met at a country and western bar near the Capitol Building in Washington, DC, in July 1996. According to Hudson, they've been together "13 years, 4 months, and 8 days."  That was as of Saturday, November 28.

By Delena Wilkerson, Publisher

Delena is the publisher and editor of 10,000 Couples magazine. Over the past 25 years Delena has published many articles, edited a national newsletter, and been both author and editor of several how-to books on financial management for nonprofits.  Some of these experiences might even help with this latest venture.  For certain, her experiences at the helm of a local nonprofit organization taught her how to get the job done with minimal resources.  She is a graduate of Livingstone College in North Carolina and the University of Chicago's School of Social Service Administration.  Delena currently lives in Oak Park, IL with her spouse and son, cat and koi.

Comments(3):

1. Happy Anniversary

   Hey from Chicago! Congratulations on 13 years, prayers for you to have 13+ more! Thanks for sharing! Jeff, 8 1/2 years with my partner Wilbert. :)

   Friday, January 01, 2010 Jeffrey

2. BillyBob

   I just finished reading the article and I truly identified with those guys. I also live in High Point NC and had the same feeling of how I would handle the so-called intolerant South! My partner and I have been together for about 14 yrs. I am from Long Island, NY and she is from the Bronx,NY. We actually found out that NC is more tolerant than we thought. We had a lot of discrimination from landlords in NY but not here. Most of our friends are straight and I laugh when I look at pictures of our Commitment Ceremony. The story is truly inspiring and maybe we'll see them in the grocery store some day! Kathie Campbell

   Saturday, January 23, 2010 Kathie

3. How You DO IT..

   How can a gay couple can survive in this time..???

   Monday, June 21, 2010 Sekko