The youngest of two children, Vincent was born in the Little Italy neighborhood of New York in June 1961.

After a long struggle to accept his sexual orientation, Vincent came out as gay man at the age of twenty eight and quickly became active in the fight for equal rights for gays and lesbians. Since 1991 he has been a member of Dignity New York, an organization of GLBT Catholics, where he sings in the choir. He is a Communications chair of Gay and Lesbian Independent Democrats, New York’s first gay and lesbian Democratic club. He also served as a founding member of the Queens Lesbian and Gay Pride Parade and Multicultural Festival in Jackson Heights, New York.

In 1996 Vincent entered the world of government and politics. He currently serves as a senior information coordinator for NY State Senate Democratic Leader David A. Paterson.

In the summer of 1994 Vincent met Edward DeBonis. Several months later, the couple started dating and soon rented an apartment in New York’s gay friendly Chelsea district. After spending seven years together, Vincent and Edward were married by a Catholic priest at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. They now reside in Greenwich Village in New York City.

"I didn’t have this ability to say, ‘I am a gay person and it’s OK,’ because you always have these negative words and images that are thrown at you about what it’s like to be gay. So I was thinking ‘Well, I’m a good person, but a good person can’t be gay, so how can I be gay?’"

The eldest of five children, Edward DeBonis was born in Troy, New York, in 1952. Growing up in an Italian Catholic family, he was an altar boy in grade school.

Whilst dating women in college, Edward began questioning his sexual orientation and finally came out as a gay man in his senior year.

Playing pool at a bar on Christopher Street in New York City, Edward met Vincent. Their relationship developed through their mutual involvement in Dignity New York, a group of LGBT Catholics. They were married by a Catholic priest at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, attended by over one hundred and fifty friends and family.

Over the years, Edward’s sculpture was accepted for exhibition at several national art shows including Amnesty International’s Human Rights Exhibition. His poetry appeared in numerous literary publications. His first book, Homonym, published by GLB Publishers, is due out in late September.

Edward is currently the Managing Partner of the New York office of a national executive/legal search firm. Both Edward and Vincent remain active in Dignity NY, Marriage Equality, Amnesty International and Gay and Lesbian Independent Democrats.

"I think most gay people really realize very quickly that they didn’t ask for this chemical attraction. It’s inevitable. Try as you might to deny it or to push it down or to not be who you really are, it’s just impossible."

Frank, Vincent’s father, is the son of Vincent and Bridget Maniscalco, both from the town of Sciacca, Sicily. He grew up in New York’s Little Italy, where at the age of 16 he met Marie Farengo. From 1952 to 1954, Frank served in the U.S Army during the Korean Conflict, stationed in Germany as a radio technician.

After returning from the Army, Frank and Marie were married in St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral. Their two children, Donna and Vincent were both educated in the Catholic school system. In 1994 his wife Marie died from lung cancer. In 1998 Frank retired as an electrical technician. He now enjoys spending time with his three grandchildren.

"I might probably wished he wasn’t gay, but I had nothing to say. I had a choice if I wanted to disown it, but I would never do that to my son."

Olga, Edward’s mother, was born in Troy, New York in July 1924. She is the daughter of Giuseppe and Maria Rosa Lanni who emigrated from Cervinara, Italy. Olga is the third eldest of seven children. After graduating valedictorian of the eighth grade class she attended Troy High School. After her father’s death, she stayed at home to raise her younger siblings while her mother worked. Later she worked for Burk Ray, sewing World War II bomber jackets, and as a seamstress at Cluett Peabody.

Olga’s husband Ted DeBonis, Edward’s father, was a baseball catcher in the minor leagues, ascending to AAA ball in the late 1940’s. Ted graduated from Troy High School and was an accomplished musician, playing the clarinet and the saxophone. While in the US Air Force during World War II, Ted played in the Air Force Band and played baseball for the Air Force team. Ted and Olga were married in 1949 in Troy. They had seven children. Their first, Ted, Jr. died at three days old from pneumonia. Their second, Donna died at eleven from a brain disorder. Edward was their third child. Olga and Ted have four grandchildren and still reside in Troy.

"Eddie said, ‘I have something to tell you that I’ve been wanting to tell you for a long time.’ He said he was gay. I was thinking that maybe he was, but I couldn’t be sure. And it made me feel good to know."

Ray was born in March 1957 in Burlington, Vermont. At the age of twenty one, Raymond entered the Novitiate of the Capuchin Franciscan Order and made simple profession in the Order in August 1978. After graduating from St. Anselm College, Manchester, NH, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy, Raymond spent a year of cross-cultural study in South America, studying Spanish at Instituto de Isiomas in Cochabamba, Bolivia. In 1985 Raymond Graduated from Maryknoll School of Technology with a Master of Divinity Degree.

In September of the same year, he was ordained a Deacon at Mary Immaculate Friary in Garrison, NY, by Bishop James Mahoney. On May 31, 1986, in Yonkers, NY, Bishop Francis Mugavero ordained Raymond a Priest.

Three years later, Raymond came out as a gay man and leaves Capuchin Franciscan Order. He began ministering as one of the priests at Dignity NY, an organization of GLBT Catholics, presiding at Eucharist, preaching, celebrating sacraments and union ceremonies.

Raymond currently serves as a full-time social worker in the field of Child Welfare. He also holds a degree of Master of Social Work from Hunter College School of Social Work, NY.

"It’s kind of a crazy way to look at sexuality apart from the things that most people find important: the loving, the caring, the mutual support. I definitely agree, procreation is part of what sex is about for some people, but I don’t think that’s the largest piece of it."

Charles McCarron was born in the Bronx, New York. After graduating with a Master of Divinity degree from The Maryknoll School of Theology and then a Master of Arts degree from St. Bonaventure University in Medieval Franciscan History, Father McCarron worked for various Catholic charities and organizations including Catholic Charities Health Systems of Long Island, Queens Pride House, and NYC Department of Health HIV Prevention Committee.

His gradual coming out to friends and co-workers ended abruptly when he was featured in the national LGBT magazine "Out" that ran a two-page profile on being a gay Catholic priest.

Father McCarron has since changed his religious affiliation and become an Episcopalian. He is currently the Priest-in-Charge at The Church of the Resurrection, Richmond Hill, New York.

"I know many gay Roman Catholics who will go every Sunday to an Episcopal Church, because they feel comfortable there. Would they ever become Episcopalian? No, they wouldn’t. So some Episcopal congregations in the city are filled with gay Roman Catholics."

Born in Drogheda, Ireland, Brendan holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from St. Patrick’s College in Maynooth, Ireland, and Master of Arts Degree in Theology from St. John’s University in New York.

For many years Brendan has been involved in the movement for civil marriage rights for gays and lesbians. From 1986, he has been active in Dignity New York, an organization of LGBT Catholics, holding leadership positions at local and regional levels. He is the founder and co-chair of the gay-inclusive St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Queens and the founder of Lavender and Green Alliance, a group that serves the needs of the Irish LGBT community. He is also the co-chair of the Civil Marriage Trail project that will bring 20 gay couples from America to Canada for legal marriage, taking the old underground railroad route to Toronto in October 2003.

Brendan and his spouse Tom Moulton were among the first New Yorkers and the first Catholic bi-national gay couple to legally marry in Canada in July 2003.

"We bless friggin’ motorbikes, cows, goats, we bless dogs on the feast of St. Francis, and yet love, tenderness and affection between two human beings somehow are not worthy of blessing!"

Born in Los Angeles, William spent his teenage years between Hollywood, San Francisco, New York and Europe. After graduating with a Bachelor Degree in Italian and Latin Literature from the University of California at Santa Cruz, he moved permanently to New York.

William did not affiliate himself with any gay-specific organizations until the late 1980’s, when the twin onslaughts of AIDS and the Vatican’s pronouncements (particularly Cardinal Ratzinger’s famous "Halloween Letter" of 1988) sent him "out of the pews and into the streets." He joined ACT-UP in 1989 and Dignity New York the following year.

An avid sports fan, William wrote about the gay sports scene for community papers and worked on the Board of the Gay Games held in New York in 1992. After the death of his lover, composer and AIDS activist Chris DeBlasio, in 1993, Will continued his studies in music and health issues. He has since worked as a writer, radio commentator, medical librarian, and currently manages an office dedicated to AIDS treatment and policy advocacy. William is also the author of three books of music commentary and is often found on the lecture circuit, discussing music, film, gender issues and religion.

William lives in New York’s West Village with his partner of seven years, Stephen Miller.

"Gay men are men. And men are… pigs, basically. Straight men have to keep up the illusion, so that they can interact with women, and we don’t have to do that."