Phillip Valdez
With a long career in the culinary arts, Phillip shares a deeply personal journey shaped by faith, family, identity, and love. After joining the Jehovah’s Witnesses as a young man and living a double life for seven years, he ultimately chose to leave the faith and live openly as a gay man—a decision that brought both acceptance and painful family estrangement. Phillip also reflects on his career as a chef and the relationships that shaped him before meeting Ron in 2006. From an unexpected first dance to building a life together, he shares his perspective on their enduring partnership, the ways they learned to balance their differences, and the commitment that eventually led them to marriage in 2017.