LGBTQ couples face countless obstacles in life, but one of the most irritating is their love being labelled as “just a phase”. That’s why Nick Cardello and his husband, Kurt English, decided to show the world that they’ve been going strong for 25 years with a touching photo of them attending the Equality March in Washington, D.C. last week – a recreation of the photo they took together at the same event in 1993.

The 2 men, who live in Tampa, Florida, have been married since 2008, but they first met at an LGBTQ-friendly church in 1992. The decision to recreate one of their first photos together near the Washington Monument and share it on social media was made out of Cardello’s desire to publicly celebrate the love he shares with his husband. That meant kissing, holding hands — these were things we kept off social media because it can make some people feel uncomfortable. I realized that this was just another closet we had to come out of,” he told the New York Daily News. “We need to get more images like this out there so the youth today can have positive role models.”

The Internet’s reaction to the photos couldn’t have been farther from ‘uncomfortable’ – in fact, people are kind of obsessed with them. Nick’s original post has over 24 thousand shares, but his photos have since turned up on a plethora of international websites, and a recent Twitter share netted them over 600 thousand likes. “We could never have imagined the incredible response to this that we’ve received,” Cardello said. Scroll down to follow their touching story, and get ready for your ‘adorable’ meters to start going off the charts.

This is Nick Cardello, left, and his now-husband, Kurt English, at the 1993 Equality March in Washington, D.C.

This is them at the same event in 2017, and one Twitter user’s caption says everything

The couple, who met in 1992 at an LGBTQ-friendly church, had an important reason to share the photo

“We made the decision to start posting photos of us being us… kissing, holding hands…”

“…these were things we kept off social media because it can make some people feel uncomfortable,” Cardello told the New York Daily News

“The youth need to see that it is possible to find a loving partner and relationship that can last!”

Their post has received an outpouring of support, as well as thousands of international shares

“If one kid can find hope, that’s all that matters”

Be proud of who you are! If you or a friend is struggling, call the Trevor Project Helpline at 1-866-488-7386

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