James Is Feminine, Maren is Masculine, and They Build Their Love According to Their Own Rules, No Matter What Anyone Thinks

James Carrington and Maren Butler had never dated people of the opposite sex before they met each other. Maren preferred girls, and James identified as gay but didn’t date much. Maren loved everything masculine, and James wasn’t shy about showing his femininity. When these 2 found each other online, neither of them expected the encounter would change their lives.

James and Maren never thought they would have a romantic relationship with someone of the opposite sex

Before meeting James Carrington, Maren Butler had only dated girls. She thought of herself as a “masculine woman,” preferred power sports, dressed in men’s clothes, and didn’t use makeup. Maren didn’t even consider dating a guy.

James liked wearing elegant outfits, eyelash extensions, and stiletto heels. He identified as gay, but he wasn’t very interested in seeking out relationships. He had a short relationship with a guy, but something felt off about it for James.

James liked organizing parties and posting TikTok videos, where he called himself a feminine man and talked about his love for beautiful clothes and bright makeup.

Once, Maren saw him online. James charmed her and she decided to text him, not even hoping for a response. But to her surprise, James texted her back and they started chatting. At first, James thought they would just chat for a few days and forget about each other.

James had no idea that such deep feelings would start between him and Maren. A few weeks later, they exchanged phone numbers, and they started calling each other in the evenings, talking about all sorts of things for hours.

Soom, James and Maren realized there was quite a lot they had in common. They liked the same music, and they were amused by the same things. The only thing that separated them was geography. Maren was studying medicine and philosophy in the Tulane University of Louisiana, while James lived in Durham, North Carolina. Maren felt that she absolutely had to see James, so when she had a couple of days free, she went to visit him.

Maren crossed several states to see James

Butler travelled for 10 hours, and she saw Carrington only very late in the evening. She didn’t regret her decision for a single moment. Carrington turned out to be exactly like he was online — charming, fun, and confident. Maren couldn’t help but fall in love with him. They spent 2 days together, walking, talking, and Maren even met James’ parents.

This is how their long-distance relationship started 1.5 years ago. Despite other people’s doubts, their romance is only getting stronger. They try to video chat every day and visit each other every chance they get.

They don’t care about criticism

The couple’s parents don’t really understand the feelings between them. James’ father says that Maren is the best thing that has ever happened to his son, and he is amazed at how such different people fell in love with each other. Maren’s mom is a little unsure about James’ appearance and behavior, but that doesn’t stop Maren and James.

Once, James published a TikTok of the most prominent moments of their romance, and the video went viral. Most people online supported the couple, but of course, there were pleasant comments, too. But James and Maren don’t take the criticism seriously.

They are used to getting odd looks and questions from time to time. But James and Maren think that their relationship is beneficial for others to see. For some people, it’s hard to understand new things or different ways of doing things if they never encounter a real-life example. So James and Maren hope that they can make it easier for other unusual couples to build love in the future if they lead by example.

Maren says that society tries to make its members follow very strict rules, but she and James don’t want to. They build their relationship the way they feel is right. She holds the door for James, and he will hold onto her arm when they are walking out in public. And Maren is the one who usually cooks, but not because she’s a girl. She’s just better at it.

Next year, they are planning to move to California. They are dreaming of spending every day together, falling asleep and waking up together, and doing all the things that other couples usually do. They also hope to get married and have kids. Maren says, “It’s important to live your life in a way that you’re happy with and that is true to you. That’s what we’re doing, and we couldn’t be happier.”

We really hope everything works out for James and Maren! Looking at your own relationships, what are some ways you and your partner defy expectations?