June 5, 2013
'Cutest Couple' On To College, Then NYU
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Now that high schoolers Brad Taylor and his boyfriend Dylan Meehan are Internet sensations, thanks to their superlative photo going viral on Tumblr, the "cutest couple" is now headed off to prom, USA Today reports.
Taylor and Meehan were voted "cutest couple" by students at their high school in Carmel, a town of 35,000 located 60 miles from the New York City boarder. The teens' best friend, Chelsea Blaney, posted the photo on her Tumblr last week, which spawned more than 115,000 "likes," making the couple sudden Internet celebrities.
Blaney told USA Today the picture went from 15 likes to 7,000 like in minutes.
"I got comments from 'They're cute' to 'This has inspired me to come out to my parents,'" she said. "It's mind-blowing."
Shortly after becoming e-famous, Taylor and Meehan suited up for their senior prom, looking handsome wearing color-coordinated tuxes.
The couple didn't only receive overwhelming support from strangers online but also from their family, friends and peers.
"It's been insane," Taylor, 17, told USA Today. "We are very, very proud to show that Carmel High School is the way it is." Meehan said the support has been inspiring.
The teens have been together for nearly a year after they were introduced by a friend. They came out to their family and friends a week after dating and say they feel comfortable to be at home and school. Taylor said no one has said anything negative to their faces about their relationship.
"No one treats us any differently from straight couples," Meehan said.
The two have been both accepted to New York University. They both have a 4.0 GPA and have received scholarships to NYU.
Now that the teens have been propelled to international fame, Blaney is campaigning for them on social media to appear on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."
"The support people are giving us and people yelling out 'You're famous' makes it so exciting," Meehan said.
"It makes us so excited to go to the ball because we know so many people are accepting of us," Taylor added.
