I came out as gay later in life and married a woman

A woman came out as a lesbian late in life and married a woman 19 years her senior three months after meeting her.

Olivia Reed, 34, had been dating a man after her six-year relationship came to a natural end.

She decided to try dating women and in February 2023 she met Kelly Reed, a 53-year-old veterinary clinic worker, on the dating app Bumble.

The two hit it off immediately, and in early March 2023, Kelly drove seven and a half hours from Massachusetts to Frederick, Maryland to meet Olivia.

Two weeks later, Kelly moved in with Olivia, and on June 3, 2023, he got down on one knee and proposed.

The couple got married in an intimate ceremony that same month (June 24, 2023).

They are now celebrating their first wedding anniversary and “feeling incredibly happy”.

Olivia, a teacher from Frederick, Maryland, said: “I’ve only been with men before.

“I’m happy to be here.

“I never imagined myself getting married. This has been a whirlwind. We don’t take it for granted.”

“It’s like a fairy tale,” Kelly said.

“I’ve never been happier in my life. I didn’t realize how unhappy I was.

“Every day when I wake up, I can’t believe I’m still alive. I’m so grateful to her.”

After ending a long-term relationship, Olivia wanted to try dating women and tried different dating apps before meeting Kelly on Bumble.

“I wanted to see if I liked being with women,” she said.

Kelly had been single for 12 years but decided to step out again and Olivia was the first woman she found after downloading the app.

“She was the first one to show up,” Kelly said.

“I contacted her and we exchanged numbers. We texted for two weeks and I finally got through to her on the phone.

“I like her so much. I’m head over heels in love with her.”

Kelly was so eager to meet Olivia that she made the trek to be with her after only chatting for a few weeks.

“It’s totally outside of my character,” Kelly said.

“I said to her closest friends ‘I’m going to marry this woman’.”

The couple hit it off immediately, and because Kelly could work remotely, she moved to Maryland in late March — just two weeks after they first met.

From there, their relationship progressed organically and quickly, with Kelly proposing on June 3, 2023.

“We got married in the same hotel where we met,” Kelly said.

Olivia said: “It was just me and Kelly and my friends doing our wedding.

“It’s very private and very simple.”

The couple have been enjoying marital bliss ever since, and say their families have been supportive and accepting of their relationship – and neither of them are bothered by the age gap.

Olivia said: “You notice some generational differences, like in technology use, but 99% of the time we don’t really think about it.

“I was so nervous to tell my parents. I’ve only ever been with men, but they were very accepting.”

The two said that occasionally people would mistake them for mother and daughter, but they never felt offended.

“I got back to Massachusetts and someone asked me, ‘Is that your daughter?’ The guy was stunned,” Kelly said.

Olivia said: “Someone online was saying ‘Are you with your grandma?’

“We won’t be angry.”

The couple simply enjoys spending time together every day and can’t wait to have a future together.

Olivia said: “You have to be open to something different – ​​you don’t know what’s going to happen but it could be a really good change.”