On this date nine years ago, the US Supreme Court made its landmark decision, requiring all states to perform and recognize the marriage of same-sex couples with equal rights and responsibilities. Who better to recognize on this important ruling than broadcaster Robin Roberts and her wife, businesswoman Amber Laing, whose nineteen-year relationship continues to inspire many for its tale of love and resilience in the face of adversity. The widely popular co-anchor of Good Morning, America, ABC-TV’s #1 morning program Roberts, has won numerous awards for her fabled broadcasting career that includes 15 years as a sportscaster with ESPN and 19 years as co-anchor of GMA. Once a dancer, Laing is a massage therapist and co- founder of Plant Juice Oils, a woman’s organic wellness store that boasts a line of CBD-infused oils. Roberts met Laing on a blind date set up by friends. Over the nearly two decades which followed, they have overcome countless health and personal challenges with courage and loving care. Laing was there for Roberts when Hurricane Katrina destroyed Roberts’ hometown, Pass Christian, Mississippi. They have also grieved the losses of their parents and supported one another with their individual bouts with breast cancer and Robert’s life-saving bone marrow transplant in 2012, when she was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder that affects the bone marrow. The couple had put off getting married for many years to deal with their health issues but were thrilled to tie the knot in a ceremony in the backyard of their home in Farmington, Connecticut. (Incidentally, drinks at their wedding reception were decorated with edible sugar discs that read “Love wins.”) Now healthy and living life to the full as wife and wife, Roberts and Laing have numerous worthy causes, including the Robin Roberts Cancer Thrivership Fund of the V Foundation that supports cancer research and helps “to turn survivors into thrivers.”
“The fact that so many people are happy for us is a gift. It’s [also} a gift for those who may not have a parent or grandparent who doesn’t quite see it like this, but they see us, and they see that we just love each other. We’re very boring, but we just love each other.” Robin Roberts
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