Meet Thomas and Eric Trube Bourne.
The New Yorkers are quickly becoming the famous faces of Tiffany & Co.’s new campaign — notably the first time the jewelry has featured a same-sex couple in its ads.
The black-and-white photo was shot in the West Village by legendary photographer Peter Lindbergh. The husbands — Eric teaches at Peridance Contemporary Dance Company and is a SoulCycle instructor, Thomas is a fashion executive with his own consulting business — are one of seven couples featured in the company’s “Will You” campaign that celebrates “love stories coming in a variety of forms, says Tiffany spokesperson Linda Buckley.
Thomas spoke to amNewYork about the couple’s moment in the spotlight:
Q How were you chosen?
A We went on a casting [call] where they were looking for a real couple.
Q Who proposed?
A We always talked about it. We both knew that we were it for each other. We went and looked at rings, and then we went to City Hall and applied for a marriage license. We are a nontraditional couple, and we are both romantic. We were socially motivated because we were legal to get married in New York. We were taught that we couldn’t get married, and now we have the same rights as everyone else.
Q Did you ever think you’d get married?
A No, because it wasn’t a realistic thing. A few years ago I got involved politically with Christine Quinn for the march for equality. When we got to D.C., I was overwhelmed by the outpour of support for gays and lesbians. That was life-changing.
Q What did your families think of the ad?
A Our families are ecstatic. I’m from a small town in Ohio, and Eric is from a small town in Michigan. Our families are very supportive.
Q How’s the reaction?
A We are getting messages on Facebook asking us to help mothers and kids with their gay children and friends. It’s a campaign to show love is love. This moment is advancing the topic. An American heritage jeweler used to use models, and it is now marketing to same-sex marriages. It’s hitting right at the core of marriage.
Q This is a game changer. How does it feel?
A It makes me feel proud. We never expected to be an international symbol for love. We are going to take what we’ve been given and use it in a positive way.
