LESBIAN COUPLE ON AMAZING RACE

Emmy-winning reality series The Amazing Race, which kicked off its twelfth season on Sunday in the US, will for the first time in its history, feature a lesbian couple.

The duo, who are both Episcopal ministers, are competing against 10 other teams for the ultimate prize of $1 million.

Kate, 49, is an Episcopal priest. Pat, 65, is an ordained deacon. After dating for seven years, the couple married in an Episcopal service three years ago and currently live in Thousand Oaks, CA.

“This is an exciting moment for reality television,” says Ann Craig, GLAAD Director of Religion, Faith & Values. “We’re thrilled that Kate and Pat have such a powerful opportunity to share their story and help create even greater understanding of gay and lesbian people of faith.”

This is not the first time The Amazing Race has featured gay and lesbian participants. In fact, the series has a long history of LGBT-inclusive casting, as well as featuring teams made up of committed gay couples, including Joe and Bill (Season One and 11), Reichen and Chip (Season Four), Alex and Lynn (Season Seven) and Tom and Terry (Season 10).

According to the team’s official Amazing Race bio, Kate and Pat are ready for the adventure of a lifetime. But they’ve warned their competitors, “don’t let the collars fool you – [we] can play dirty too.”