* Ito ang pangalawang kwento sa serye ng kwentong migrasyon namin.
Sa bawat kwentong migrasyon, may umaalis at may naiiwan. Sa bawat kwentong migrasyon, may mga damdaming nakakaramdam ng kawalan, ng pagmamahal, at ng pag-asa. Iba-iba ang ating mga kwento, ngunit pare-pareho ang ating mga pinagdadaanan. Ano ang kwento mo? #UsapTayo
Tumagal ng 48 na taon bago nahanap ni Gian ang taong para sa kanya. Sa katunayan, di niya inakalang mangyayari ito - hangga't pinakilala sa kanya ng kanyang matalik na kaibigan sa Melbourne si John, ang lalaking magiging asawa niya.
Nagtatrabaho noon bilang Fashion visual merchandiser para sa H&M Dubai, habang pinapatakbo ni John ang isang kilalang restawran sa Morningtong Peninsula.
Pagkatapos ng ilang buwang pag-uusap sa Viber, pinagdesisyunan ng dalawa na magkita sa Dubai noong 2014.
"I just knew in my heart and my soul that you were for me. [I loved] the transparency, the honesty, the trust, the genuity in our conversations up until the day we met on the 22nd of September 2014. I met you at the airport [and] I was complete," saad ni John.
Bilang isang interracial at homosexual na mag-irog, maraming pinagdaanan ang dalawa - mula sa hirap ng isang long distance relationship, hanggang sa pag-kwestyon ng iba sa kanilang mga motibo at mga negatibong komento ukol sa kanilang sekswalidad.
Ngunit, patuloy na nalalampasan ng dalawa ang mga ito, at gaya ng sabi ni Gian kay John, ang mahalaga ay "You love me for who I am. My skin colour doesn’t matter to you. I just felt it straight away - that you were a good person, that you were the one I’ve been looking for my whole life."
Natapos na kanilang paghahanap para sa 'the one' at, ng maging legal ang same-sex marriage sa Australya noong 2017, nagdesisyon ang dalawa na gawing opisyal ang kanilang pagsasama.
Pati ang pamilya ng dalawa ay tuwang-tuwa sa balitang ito.
The couple's families have wholeheartedly accepted and celebrated their union. Source: Gian Romulo Gonzalesten
"In the country I grew up in, [being gay] is acceptable; but marriage equality [is not]. I was screaming [when I heard the news] and then I hugged [my mum] Mama Virgie. The entire family was screaming because they knew from the very start, we just wanted to be one. We just wanted to be happy," saad ni Gian.
Ayon kay John, ang araw ng kasal nila ay ang pinakamasayang araw sa buhay nilang mag-asawa. Naiyak sila sa tuwa noon na magiging "equal husband and husband" na sila.
"For me, [all I want is] for us to live our lives together side by side and, that our families are part of our beautiful journey together. Maybe one day, having children. I’m 56. You’re 52. It’s something we’ve talked about for a very long time," saad ni John.
At habang matagal ang panahon bago nila nahanap ang bawat isa, saad nila na maikli lang ang buhay kaya hindi nila hinahayaang maapektuhan ang kanilang pamumuhay dahil sa mga sinasabi ng iba.
"Being a gay couple, I think we have a lot of obstacles and people have different definitions of who we are; but for me, it’s as simple as I’m your husband, I believe everyone deserves true happiness regardless of sexuality. I just want to be with you for the rest of my life," ibinahagi ni Gian kay John.
BASAHIN / PANOORIN DIN
"Being a gay couple, we have a lot of obstacles and people have different definitions of who we are; but for me, it’s as simple as I’m your husband." Source: Gian Romulo Gonzalesten
