And the Fabulous Beekman Boys have done it. Last night, partners Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge--nicknamed the "Beekmans"--took home the $1 million prize on CBS' Emmy-winning reality competition, The Amazing Race. They are the second same-sex couple to win over the series' 21-season span.
We were rooting for the Beekmans--who were recently engaged to be wed--from the beginning, and not just because they're gay. Of course, we knew them before from their cable reality show The Fabulous Beekman Boys, which follows the two city boys as they adapt to the country and build their Beekman 1802 lifestyle brand. And Kilmer-Purcell was a popular columnist for Out magazine for several years (read "Frenemies of Dorothy," "Jumping the Snark" and "The Queer New Deal" for a sampling).
Though they were The Amazing Race's resident underdogs, we loved them for their knack for keeping cool under pressure and for putting their love for one another first. They were a headstrong, out-and-proud couple, in it to win it for all the right reasons. Save a series of stops in Muslim territories, it's not every day reality television astounds by being so real. Although they came in virtually last place every challenge until the end, it's fascinating to see how two gay men excel at things like cocktail parties, making dog food, and identifying "hellos" and "goodbyes" from nine different countries.
So now, after 25,000 of globe-trotting across three continents, nine countries, and 20 cities, are hats are off to you, boys. Congratulations!
Watch the Beekman's winning moment from the finale below:
