A younger Sam Broekema had no idea he’d someday be living in New York City, working for InStyle magazine and getting married to the man he loves.
Broekema grew up in Neshkoro, Wisconsin, a town of about 400 people about 90 minutes north of Madison. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and moved to New York to pursue a career in fashion journalism. He and his fiance Eric Riley are featured in a “Love first” campaign for J.Crew.
J.Crew is donating 50% of the purchase price for the “Love first” collection of T-shirts and socks to the Human Rights Campaign to celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month.
Wisconsin native in J.Crew ad for Human Rights Campaign, Photo courtsey of J. Crew.
“I never would have thought growing up in a small town that I would know the people I know or that I would participate in something like this,” Broekema said. “(Gay marriage) wasn’t legal when I was growing up. It wasn’t something that we really had to worry about even in terms of pressure. It became something that was not an option to something that was an option in my lifetime. It’s staggering.”
The Human Rights Campaign is the largest civil rights organization. It works to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Americans.
“I grew up in rural Wisconsin and never imagined I’d be able to marry the man I love. @humanrightscampaign has helped make that possible.” – @sambroekema, with his fiancé, Eric #lovefirst
Broekema and Riley got engaged in March in Japan and are getting married in December this year at the State Capitol in Madison. They currently live in New York City. Broekema is the market and accessories director at InStyle magazine, and Riley is an urban planner who grew up in rural Alabama.
J.Crew asked Broekema and Riley to participate in the campaign along with blogger Allison Graham, makeup artist Earon Dianna, actor Zasia Mamet and actor/producer Evan Jonigkeit.
“I had done a shoot for J.Crew last year,” Broekema said. “A friend of mine asked if we would participate in this Human Rights Campaign that they’ve done celebrating love first. And my first thought was ‘No, I hate having my picture taken.’ And Eric hates it too.
“It was fun. I feel comfortable around Eric,” he said. “We’re happy to be able to support the Human Rights Campaign. I think they are such a large, amazing organization that has fought for a long time for the civil rights that we have almost taken for granted now and that’s amazing.”
Lainey Seyler, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel