America’s Most Captivating Couples 2007
Daria “Deno” Orechwa
27, Graduate Student/Youth Services Counselor
Ingrid “Inno” Dahl
26, Rock Musician/Editor/GO Writer/Founding Member of the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls
San Francisco, CA & Jersey City, NJ
Deno and Inno met at Rutgers University in (year). Today, Deno is a graduate student at San Francisco State, and assists queer teens at the Huckleberry House shelter. Her goal is to open a queer community center someday with its own thrift store. At the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls, Inno also works with teens—managing their bands and teaching them to play different instruments. In addition, she’s a writer for GO and plays in the groups Boyskout, The 303s, and Lismore. This couple, who say they “like to make out and lay on each other everywhere we go,” are currently in a long-distance relationship. What keeps it on track? “Teamwork; consideration; independence; admiration; text messages; imaginary scenarios; missing one another; extreme cuteness; generosity; and phenomenal sex.”
It was difficult to narrow down the entries, but we finally did it–and the result is the year’s most captivating couples! Ranging from a historic preservationist to a superhero to a TV talk show host (times two), it’s great to see so many proud women, not just in love, but spreading that love around and making the world a brighter place. Their stories inspired us, and we know they’ll inspire you, too. Say hello to this year’s sweethearts.
LORI & LORI
Lori Michaels
33, Business Owner/Community Activist/Performer/Singer/Songwriter/Dance and Fitness Performance Specialist, aka “The Dyke Diva”
Lori Damiano
36, Hair Stylist/Fashion Consultant/Makeup Artist
Clifton, NJ
A friend at a Shescape party introduced the Loris in 2001. However, their initial meeting did not go well. “I was totally thinking that she did not want to be with me,” Lori M. remembers. She found out later that Lori D. wasn’t feeling well and what began as an iffy first date has flourished into the beautiful relationship they enjoy today. Although they both have demanding careers, in their very spare, spare time, they enjoy eating good food, hanging with family and friends, and doing charity work, which they think “keeps us focused on what really matters most in life: being grateful, being generous, and of course, having that unconditional love for each other.”
