In an essay for The Guardian, Anthony recounts how a chance television reference on a 2015 first date led to a decade-long relationship and marriage.
The essay, published on Friday, details the author’s meeting with Jake in Sydney after a difficult breakup the previous year. Anthony, then 33, had resolved never to compromise his identity again and was preparing to become a surrogate father with a lesbian couple.
The two men matched on Grindr and arranged to meet for coffee before heading to Cronulla beach. Anthony laid his plans for surrogate fatherhood on the table immediately during their first encounter at Miranda Fair, and Jake remained entirely unfazed by the revelation.
Conversation flowed easily as they discovered a shared passion for nerd culture and classic television comedies. Anthony notes that finding another gay man interested in such media in 2015 felt distinctly uncommon.
“OK, picture it, Sicily, 1922,” Jake said, according to The Guardian, while the two browsed homewares in a store ahead of their beach trip.
The line is the signature opening of Sophia “Ma” Petrillo, played by Estelle Getty in the NBC sitcom The Golden Girls. Anthony shares a deep personal connection to the series, having watched it alongside his late grandmother during his childhood.
“Oh my God did you just quote Golden Girls at me? Marry me!” Anthony recalled blurting out in response.
Although the remark felt brash for a first date, Anthony admitted he believed at that moment he would eventually marry his companion.
Ten years after their initial meeting, the couple married in April in Leura following a week of heavy rain. Anthony wore a traditional tuxedo paired with a custom ball gown created specifically for the occasion by Jake, who had recently completed a fashion course.
Anthony writes that the ceremony was the first time he felt like a true expression of himself. Jake now acts as a stepdad to Anthony’s two daughters.
In recent years, Anthony received a diagnosis of autism with ADHD, which brought clarity to his personality traits. He credits Jake with helping to manage moments of overwhelm, noting that his partner remains calm during stressful situations.
“I wouldn’t change him for the world,” Anthony told The Guardian.
