40+ Same-Sex Celebrity Couples Who Tied The Knot
Powerful couples in Hollywood abound, including same-sex A-Listers who opted to propose. These LGBTQ celebrities, which range from actors and comedians to athletes and singers, are living their best lives. While some of these couples have been together for years, others have relationships that are more recent. In either case, these well-known faces are beaming when talking about their significant others. Check out our list of married same-sex celebrity couples.
Cynthia Nixon and Christine Marinoni
Cynthia Nixon, star of Sex and the City, and her wife Christine Marinoni come first. The actress commented in 2007: “I’d been with men all my life, and I’d never fallen in love with a woman. But when I did, it didn’t seem so strange. I’m just a woman in love with another woman.”
Cynthia Nixon And Christine Marinoni
Nixon and Marinoni began dating in 2004, got engaged in 2009 at a rally in support of same-sex unions, and then wed in New York City in 2012.
George Takei and Brad Altman
George Takei, a beloved actor, is best known for his work on the science fiction series Star Trek. Although fans have known about the star’s sexuality since the 1970s, he didn’t come out in public until 2005. Brad Altman and Takei have been together since the late 1980s, and they finally got married in 2008.
George Takei And Brad Altman
In West Hollywood, George Takei and Brad Altman really applied for a marriage license before anyone else. What showbiz they are!
Wanda Sykes and Alex Sykes
Wanda Sykes is an actress and author who was wed to a man in the 1990s but came out as a lesbian in public in 2008 at a rally in support of same-sex marriage. Alex Niedbalski, Sykes’ French wife, and she were married a month earlier.
Wanda Sykes And Alex Sykes
Sadly, Wanda Sykes’ parents had issues accepting her sexuality, but the family has since patched things up. Sykes responded, “I don’t understand why people really get upset about something that doesn’t affect them,” in response to a question regarding resistance to same-sex marriage.
Samira Wiley and Lauren Morelli
Samira Wiley, who plays Offred in The Handmaid’s Tale, comes from a religious background, but her co-pastor parents are unquestionably pro-LGBTQ. They were the sole church in Washington, D.C., in actuality. that officiated same-sex unions in 2007.
Samira Wiley And Lauren Morelli
Lauren Morelli, a writer for Orange Is the New Black, and Wiley met while both were employed on the program. Morelli had a male spouse before coming out as a lesbian. In 2017, the couple exchanged rings in California.
Matt Bomer and Simon Halls
American actor Matt Bomer and his publicist spouse Simon Halls were able to wed secretly from the press. The celebrity admitted in 2014 that he had married his spouse in 2011, but had chosen to keep it a secret up until then. Bomer did, in fact, publicly come out in 2012, after getting married.
Matt Bomer And Simon Halls
Kit, Walker, and Henry Halls are the names of the three sons that Matt and Halls currently share. The charming couple wed in a small ceremony in New York.
Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor
Actresses Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor are a well-known lesbian couple in Hollywood. Despite their 32-year age difference, this gorgeous couple is obviously in love and hasn’t yet exchanged vows.
Sarah Paulson And Holland Taylor
Taylor first admitted to dating a younger lady in 2015. We eventually learned that Paulson was the American Horror Story actor. Speaking to the New York Times, Paulson said, “What I can say absolutely is that I am in love, and that person happens to be Holland Taylor.”
Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black
British Olympic diver Tom Daly had to deal with a lot of tabloid speculation about his sexuality, just like many of the LGBTQ celebrities on this list. The athlete, a well-known YouTuber, admitted in a video that he was dating a man but didn’t explicitly identify as gay or bisexual.
Tom Daley And Dustin Lance Black
Daley has since come out as queer and even married screenwriter Dustin Lance Black. Following their marriage in 2017, the couple welcomed their son, Robbie, into the world.
Tom Ford and Richard Buckley
Tom Ford, an American fashion designer and film director, is the next Tom. Since 1986, the former creative director of Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci has been married to writer Richard Buckley. Buckley is the previous editor in chief of Vogue Hommes International, making them quite the trendy combo.
Tom Ford And Richard Buckley
The couple dated for 14 years before getting married in 2014. Alexander John “Jack” Buckley Ford is the child of Tom Ford and Richard Buckley. The intrepid family has resided in the USA, the UK, and Italy.
Jim Parsons and Todd Spiewak
While his most well-known on-screen persona is madly in love with Amy Farrah Fowler, Jim Parsons is actually madly in love with his husband Todd Spiewak. The couple has been together since the 2000s and got engaged in New York City in 2017.
Jim Parsons And Todd Spiewak
Parsons described their relationship as follows, “an act of love, coffee in the morning, going to work, washing the clothes, taking the dogs out—a regular life, boring love.”
Jodie Foster and Alexandra Hedison
Jodie Foster, an actress, was the subject of sexual orientation rumors as early as the 1990s, although she didn’t come out in the open until 2007. After dating for less than a year, the Academy Award-winning actress proposed to Alexandra Hedison, an American actress and photographer.
Jodie Foster And Alexandra Hedison
Foster is the father of two sons with producer Cydney Bernard, and Alexandra Hedison formerly dated Ellen DeGeneres. Since 2014, Jodie Foster and Alexandra Hedison have been wed.
Ricky Martin and Jwan Yosef
Even better, Syrian-Swedish painter Jwan Yosef claims expressing the same thing when he first met Puerto Rican musician and King of Latin Pop Ricky Martin: “I am going to marry this guy.” Fate had it!
Ricky Martin And Jwan Yosef
Due to his sizable LGBT fan base, Ricky Martin faced questions about his sexual orientation before his coming out. Matteo, Valentino, Luca, and Renn are the four children that Martin and Yosef are currently raising as a married couple.
Abby Wambach and Glennon Doyle Melton
Abby Wambach, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, has scored the most goals overall for the US women’s soccer team. Between 2013 and 2016, the retired athlete was wed to fellow soccer player Sarah Huffman; at now, she is wed to American novelist Glennon Doyle.
Abby Wambach And Glennon Doyle Melton
On one of Doyle’s book tours, Glennon Doyle and Abby Wambach crossed paths. They made their relationship public in 2016. They didn’t waste any time getting married in 2017 and have been together ever since.
Chely Wright and Lauren Blitzer
Chely Wright, a country musician, struggled with her sexuality from a young age. The celebrity made the decision early on to conceal her sexuality in order to succeed as a performer. She was reared in a Christian home. The celebrity bravely came out in 2010 after years of concealing her relationships and true identity.
Chely Wright And Lauren Blitzer
Chely Wright met Lauren Blitzer, an LGBTQ activist and marketing director, shortly after coming out. The pair has twin boys together and was married in 2011.
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi
TV royalty Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi are unquestionably one of the most well-known lesbian celebrity power couples. The couple began dating in 2004 and wed in 2008, the year when California’s ban on same-sex unions was overturned. Actress de Rossi formally changed her name to Portia Lee James DeGeneres following their nuptials.
Ellen DeGeneres And Portia De Rossi
These two have supported one another through good times and bad. Portia was by Ellen’s side the entire time when she was the target of harsh criticism for her television program. What a dynamic pair they are!
Ryan Murphy and David Miller
Ryan Murphy, the creator of Glee, has given us a variety of television treasures, such as The Politician and American Horror Story. Being among the most influential figures in television, Murphy has received praise for introducing LGBTQ characters to television.
Ryan Murphy And David Miller
Since their union in 2012, Ryan Murphy and David Miller, a photojournalist, have had three children. Ryan Murphy has promoted AIDS awareness in addition to featuring LGBTQ characters by collaborating with numerous humanitarian groups.
Elton John and David Furnish
Here’s another pair of same-sex Hollywood royalty, or possibly the princes. English superstar Elton John has too many hits to count, including his tribute to Princess Di, which continues to be the best-selling single in the annals of the UK and US charts.
Elton John And David Furnish
In 1993, Elton John first met David Furnish, with whom he later wed in 2014. Furnish offered his opinion on their union, saying, “We feel it’s really important to take that step and take advantage of that amazing change in legislation. We all live by example.”
Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent
Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent, two interior designers, are up next. This attractive couple hosts their own reality TV program on TLC, and they undoubtedly have the best-decorated homes of anyone on this list.
Nate Berkus And Jeremiah Brent
This pair began dating in 2012, became engaged in 2013, and wed in 2014. Poppy and Oskar Michael, the daughter and son of Nate and Jeremiah, respectively. Additionally, this couple was the first same-sex couple to be featured in a Rolling Stone advertisement.
Billy Porter and Adam Smith
Billy Porter, a Broadway veteran and actor, attributes his ability to embrace his feminine side to his part in the musical Kinky Boots. The actor and Adam Smith had a brief romance after they first met in 2009, but they later parted ways.
Billy Porter And Adam Smith
The pair rekindled their passion after spending five years apart, and they eventually got married in 2017. Smith described their wedding as “so much fun and a whirlwind,” and judging by Porter’s amazing sense of style, we’re sure it was!
Melissa Etheridge and Linda Wallem
In 1993, singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge made her first public declaration of lesbianism. The longtime advocate for homosexual rights had a number of open relationships with people of the same sex and two children through surrogacy with artist David Crosby.
Melissa Etheridge And Linda Wallem
The vocalist of “Come To My Window” is now wed to American writer and actress Linda Wallem. The couple married in 2014. Considering that they were both born on the same day, the Etheridge-Wallem home must host a sizable celebration every year.
Michael Kors and Lance LePere
Michael Kors, an American fashion designer, has a huge influence on how the world is dressed. In 2011, the Long Island-born designer wed Lance Le Pere in a small wedding in the Hamptons.
Michael Kors And Lance LePere
Michael Kors said while celebrating on Dune Beach with friends and family, “To marry someone as wonderful and special to me as Lance barefoot on a glorious beach is more than I could have dreamed of.” They do seem to complement one other well, we must admit.
Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne
Following them will be the talented comedian Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne, an actress and writer. On the set of the comedy film In a World, these two got acquainted. and got married in 2015, two years later. In 2016, the couple adorable welcomed twin boys.
Tig Notaro And Stephanie Allynne
Before meeting Tig, Stephanie Allynne had never been in a relationship. She recalls, “I was so into Tig and I was falling in love with her, and I didn’t know how to identify it because I thought I was straight.”
Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner
The relationship between writer Jane Wagner and actress Lily Tomlin dates back almost 50 years. Since they first met in 1971, the couple has been in a relationship. Wagner was referred to in the media for many years as Tomlin’s “collaborator” because the couple kept their sexual orientation a secret from the public. They eventually got married in 2013.
Lily Tomlin And Jane Wagner
Jane Wagner has received a Writers Guild of America award and Peabody Awards. She has also won three Emmys for the job she did alongside her wife. Both romantically and professionally, they seem to make an amazing couple.
David Hyde Pierce and Brian Hargrove
Here’s another LGBTQ person who has received an Emmy award. David Hyde Pierce, a star of the television series Frasier, came out as homosexual in the public in 2007.
David Hyde Pierce And Brian Hargrove
David Hyde Pierce praised his longtime partner Brian Hargrove when collecting a Tony Award, mentioning their protracted union. In 2008, the pair wed in California. Hyde Pierce has advocated against laws prohibiting same-sex unions and has long supported the Alzheimer’s Association.
Alan Cumming and Grant Shaffer
Alan Cumming, a Scottish actor, singer, and campaigner, has received recognition for his extraordinary efforts in eradicating homophobia. In 2007, the bisexual celebrity and illustrator Grant Shaffer became civil partners. The pair formally wed in 2012 on the fifth anniversary of their initial ceremony.
Alan Cumming And Grant Shaffer
Grant Shaffer is a name you may not be familiar with, but you have undoubtedly seen his work. The music videos for “Single Ladies” by Beyoncé, “Takara” by Madonna, and “Cornflake Girl” by Tori Amos were created by the graphic designer and artist.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, a Broadway and television actor, announced in 2012 that he was engaged to lawyer Justin Mikita. The next year, author Tony Kushner officiated the couple’s marriage ceremony in Manhattan.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson And Justin Mikita
Beckett Mercer Ferguson-Mikita, who was born in 2020, is the son of Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita, who really met while working out together. It appears that several more celebrities attended the stars’ weddings in New York City. Additionally, they requested donations to a nonprofit supporting marriage equality rather than gifts.
Barry Manilow and Garry Kief
It’s incredible to think that pop icon Barry Manilow spent a large portion of his career secretive. Because of his enormous following of female admirers and his concern that being gay would jeopardize his career, the singer kept his sexuality a secret, as was customary at the time.
Barry Manilow And Garry Kief
Amazingly, Manilow’s management encouraged him to conceal his sexual orientation while also being in love with him. In 2014, Barry Manilow and Garry Kief wed after years of collaboration. Manilow himself didn’t come out until 2017. Fortunately, his supporters were encouraging.
Sean Hayes and Scott Icenogle
Another celebrity who strongly supports the LGBTQ community is shown here, though she didn’t come out to the public until much later in life. Sean Hayes is best known for his role as Jack McFarland on the television show Will & Grace, but he kept his sexuality a secret out of concern for how it might affect his career.
Sean Hayes And Scott Icenogle
Sean Hayes eventually came out in 2010, saying he had “contributed monumentally to the success of the LGBT movement in America.” Hayes then wed Scott Icenogle in 2014.
Meredith Baxter and Nancy Locke
Meredith Baxter, a star of Family Ties, has been married four times and has spent a lot of time in unhappy relationships while questioning her sexual orientation. The celebrity came out as a lesbian in 2009 following the dissolution of her third marriage to a man.
Meredith Baxter And Nancy Locke
Meredith Baxter began dating general contractor Nancy Locke several years before coming out in the open. In the end, Baxter and Locke wed in Los Angeles in 2013 and have been together ever since.
Lance Bass and Michael Turchin
Lance Bass, a member of NSYNC, came out as homosexual in a People magazine cover story in 2006. Bass had only ever dated women up until the age of 22, but due to his widely reported romance with Amazing Race winner Reichen Lehmkuhl, he came out publicly.
Lance Bass And Michael Turchin
Lance Bass and actor and painter Michael Turchin began dating in 2011. The couple wed in 2014 after meeting the previous year at a birthday celebration. The couple’s extravagant wedding was even documented in a 2015 E! special.
RuPaul and Georges LeBar
RuPaul has made significant contributions to the LGBTQ community in the US and around the world. The most well-known drag queen in the world, the star’s reality series RuPaul’s Drag Race has introduced drag culture to millions of viewers.
RuPaul And Georges LeBar
In 2017, RuPaul wed painter Georges Lebar, his longtime partner. The star claims he doesn’t want to “put restraints” on his husband, so the couple has an open marriage. Hey, whatever Ru finds useful!
Frankie Grande and Hale Leon
Dancer and actor Frankie Grande proposed to lover Hale Leon after two enchanted years of together. Leon and Grande first came into contact in 2019 while line dancing at a Los Angeles pub. When Grande first saw his future spouse on stage, he claims to have been “blown away.”
Frankie Grande And Hale Leon
He added that when they began dancing, he knew it was “love at first dance.” Pop star Ariana Grande, Grande’s sister, also attended the memorable occasion. The proposal, according to Ariana, was “perfect in every way.”
Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger
Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger, two soccer stars who had been dating for almost ten years, got married in 2019. Other professional soccer players attended the elegant Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami, where the romantic ceremony took place.
Ashlyn Harris And Ali Krieger
In 2010, Harris and Krieger became friends while competing for the US National Team. The couple both play for the Orlando Pride soccer team, which represents the city of Orlando, and Krieger claims that she found her future bride to be “captivating” and that she “always wanted to be around her.”
Tan and Rob France
Rob, the spouse of host Tan France, is most likely already well-known to viewers of Netflix’s Queer Eye. On the program, France has frequently discussed his illustrator husband and even given viewers a glimpse into their relationship.
Tan And Rob France
After meeting Rob on an online dating site, France got married to his husband in 2007. Even more, the British television star admitted that his husband had persuaded him to appear on the Netflix program. The couple had a son in 2021.
Emily Saliers and Tristin Chipman
At a concert, guitarist and singer for the Indigo Girls Emily Saliers made her marriage proposal to wife Tristin Chipman official. Despite the fact that they had been dating for more than ten years, they were unable to officially wed because of legal limitations.
Emily Saliers And Tristin Chipman
Fortunately, the two were able to marry in a New York ceremony in 2013. Chipman formerly served as the band’s tour manager. 2012 saw the birth of their daughter, who is greatly cherished by the two.
Heather Matarazzo and Heather Turman
The actress from The Princess Diaries married Heather Turman in 2018. In a lovely ceremony on the beach, Matarazzo got down on one knee and declared Turman to be his “unqualified love of my life.”
Heather Matarazzo And Heather Turman
They collaborated on the 2017 comedy movie Stuck, however Matarazzo hasn’t specified precisely when they first met. Turman contributed to the screenplay of the movie and played a supporting part. The couple generally keeps a low profile, but on occasion they post adorable things on social media about one another.
John Barrowman and Scott Gill
The majority of American viewers are familiar with John Barrowman from his portrayal of Captain John Harkness on the BBC program Dr. Who. In the theater, where Barrowman also excels as an actor, he first met his future husband, British architect Scott Gill.
John Barrowman And Scott Gill
When the two first saw each other in 1991 while attending a play, Barrowman knew it was love at first sight. The two exchanged vows in 2013 after California decided to legalize same-sex marriage. The couple currently resides in Palm Springs and has been a couple for about 30 years.
Sam Tsui and Casey Breves
Millions of people have watched Sam Tsui and Casey Breves’ duets and versions of well-known songs on YouTube. But one film in particular stood out: “The Promise,” which included footage from their wedding.
Sam Tsui And Casey Breves
The fact that Tsui came out as homosexual in public the day before their wedding made this film even more unique. Millions of people have watched the heartwarming 2016 video, and many of them adore the inside glimpse into the relationship of their favorite YouTube stars.
Mario Cantone and Jerry Dixon
On the HBO series Sex and the City, actor Mario Cantone may have had a number of lovers, but he only has eyes for his husband, Jerry Dixon. After 20 years of dating, Cantone wed the musical theater director in 2011.
Mario Cantone And Jerry Dixon
The two artists have also worked together on numerous occasions. Dixon has composed music for Cantone’s productions, and the two have shared the stage in the Broadway production of STEVE.
Matt Dallas and Blue Hamilton
Matt Dallas, who starred in Kyle XY, came out as homosexual in a 2013 tweet after years of rumors. Dallas married musician Blue Hamilton, his longtime boyfriend, just two years after posting that tweet.
Matt Dallas And Blue Hamilton
The two are now outspoken proponents of both adoption and foster care. The two made the announcement that they had adopted a young boy named Crow in 2015. The couple’s YouTube channel, matt+blue, is well-known for hosting adorable and thought-provoking videos.
Cheyenne Jackson and Jason Landau
Despite going through some difficult times, Cheyenne Jackson, an actor on American Horror Story, met Jason Landau as a result of one of them. While both of them were receiving treatment for substance abuse, the Glee actor met her entrepreneur husband.
Cheyenne Jackson And Jason Landau
Following a brief engagement, the pair wed in 2014 in front of a large crowd. Ethan and Willow were born to the couple within a short period of time. On their social media accounts, Jackson and Landau frequently post pictures of their kids while also sharing their special moments.
T.R. Knight and Patrick Leahy
T.R. Knight, who plays Dr. On the occasion of their tenth wedding anniversary, Knight published a sentimental post to Instagram that left his followers in tears. He stated in the post that he would “keep trying to deserve him” for the ensuing ten years.
T.R. Knight And Patrick Leahy
Other cast members of the medical drama attended the actor’s 2013 wedding to her writer and ballet dancer husband. The couple’s four canines, who frequently appear in the couple’s Instagram pictures, live with them in Los Angeles.
Jonathan Van Ness and Mark Peacock
While 2020 may have been challenging for many of us, it was a remarkable year for comedian and Queer Eye presenter Jonathan Van Ness. The television star and husband Mark Peacock were married in 2020, as he revealed in a touching Instagram post.
Jonathan Van Ness And Mark Peacock
While Van Ness was on a comedy tour in London, the two met. The two exchanged vows in a tiny backyard wedding after a brief courtship. In addition to their four cats and the Jack Russell terrier they have adopted as a couple, Van Ness refers to Peacock as his “soul mate.”
Niecy Nash and Jessica Betts
Niecy Nash, an actress, was very perplexed when she first met Jessica Betts, a singer, who would become her wife. Despite having been friends for many years, Nash was still hiding his sexual orientation. Nash was aware that she “did not want to be without her” despite this.
Niecy Nash And Jessica Betts
In 2020, after a year of dating, the couple exchanged vows in a private ceremony. She thinks that she fell in love because of Betts’ heart. She is the most lovely soul I have ever encountered in my life, Nash remarked of her wife.
Jonathan Bennett and Jaymes Vaughan
Jonathan Bennett, star of Mean Girls, described Jaymes Vaughan as the “most handsome man I’d ever seen” when they first met. The two dated for a number of years before becoming engaged in 2020.
Jonathan Bennett And Jaymes Vaughan
For the auspicious occasion, Vaughan had written Bennett a song, which caused Bennett to “ugly cry” with delight and happiness. The two additionally made history by becoming the first LGBTQ+ couple to be highlighted in The Knot, a wedding magazine. Additionally, the couple created the first engagement/wedding band catered to same-sex couples by a significant store.
Hannah Gadsby and Jenney Shamash
In the beginning of 2021, Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby made headlines when she revealed that she had secretly wed producer Jenney Shamash. Gadsby’s comedy specials featured Shamash as a producer; he referred to her wife as a “producer extraordinaire.”
Hannah Gadsby And Jenney Shamash
The Emmy-winning comedian announced the news on Instagram, writing that she was “full of very positive feelings” and was “very chuffed about it,” which is Australian slang for excited.
Raven-Symoné and Miranda Maday
Starting as a child actress in the 1980s, Raven-Symoné has been a regular presence on our television screens for years. The celebrity, who has never come out publicly, has supported same-sex unions and is married to social media manager Miranda Maday.
Raven Symoné And Miranda Maday
Raven-Symoné would rather not identify as a particular race or sexuality. The actress told Oprah Winfrey that she identifies as an American and “a human who loves humans,” despite the fact that the star is vocal about LGBTQ issues.
Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird
Another American soccer star with a resume full of accolades is up next. Megan Rapinoe, a co-captain of the national team, is well-known for both her outstanding soccer abilities and her LGBTQ activism.
Megan Rapinoe And Sue Bird
The athlete had multiple encounters with women before coming out publicly in 2012. Rapinoe and basketball player Sue Bird revealed their relationship in 2017, and a few years later they made an engagement announcement. In 2017, when talking about her relationship with Rapinoe, Bird came out publicly.
Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka
Neil Patrick Harris, who portrays a womanizer on How I Met Your Mother, came out as homosexual in public for the first time in 2006. David Burtka, an actor and chef, and the actor were romantically involved; they later married and had a child together.
Neil Patrick Harris And David Burtka
Neil and David got hitched in Italy in 2014 after becoming engaged in 2011. Elton John performed during the reception, of course. Harper Grace and Gideon Scott, twins of the couple, were born recently.
Diana Taurasi and Penny Taylor
Diana Taurasi, one of the greatest female basketball players of all time, is known to WNBA fans as the “White Mamba.” The great athlete wed Penny Taylor, director of player development and performance for the Phoenix Mercury, in 2017. Leo Michael Taurasi-Taylor, their son, was born to the couple in 2018.
Diana Taurasi And Penny Taylor
Penny Taylor, who now serves as the Phoenix Mercury’s assistant coach, was previously a professional basketball player. What a marriage made in basketball heaven, Diana Taurasi and Penny Taylor were once colleagues!
Victor Garber and Rainer Andreesen
Victor Garber, a Canadian actor, completes our ranking. The Tony Award-winning performer didn’t publicly address his sexuality until 2012, when he identified as gay. Garber said, “I don’t really talk about it, but everyone knows,” a year later.
Victor Garber And Rainer Andreesen
The artist and model Rainer Andreesen, the celebrity’s longtime partner, revealed on social media in 2015 that the couple had gotten engaged. The couple married in their native Canada and have been together since the year 2000.