Warren native stars in same-sex Tiffany ad

It’s not unusual to have friends over to watch a major TV event, and that’s what Thomas Trube Bourne did a few weeks back.

The Golden Globes awards show was on, and friends eagerly awaited the start, which was set to begin as soon as ABC’s “World News Tonight” ended.

But that final ABC news segment sent screams throughout the apartment.

The screams were confirmation that Thomas’ life is set for a big change.

It was a story about a new global ad campaign from Tiffany & Co. — the legendary jewelry company known as a bastion of style and elegance. Think Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, tonight’s shiny Super Bowl trophy, White House china and the best diamonds.

Now include with them Thomas — a Warren native and 1999 graduate of Youngstown State University.

For the first time in the company’s 178 years of encasing elegance in tiny blue boxes, Tiffany’s global ad campaign will feature a same-sex couple in roles previously exclusive to a man and a woman.

Thomas and Eric Trube Bourne have been married for almost a year and live a high-tempo life in New York City. Eric is an acclaimed dancer and instructor; Thomas is a fashion executive dividing time between the U.S. and Paris.

Their work is already global. Their personal life is about to be, if the past few weeks — or their party guests — are any measure.

“I was in the kitchen getting things ready, and people [watching the TV] just started screaming,” said Thomas of the reaction when ABC displayed a picture of the ad for the millions of people watching TV.

“I was in shock, and thought, ‘Well — here we go; no hiding any more,’” said Thomas.

In truth, neither Thomas nor Eric, of Michigan, have been hiding their sexuality. Thomas, 44, has been out since the late 1990s. Eric, 29, came out as a teenager.

But Thomas said they live a private personal life.

At least they did.

“We are very low key, even though we have high-profile jobs. Having your relationship out and a world focus on it is overwhelming,” said Thomas.

While same-sex themes in mainstream advertising have been on an uptick the last few years, Tiffany was major news in early January when such a legacy U.S. company in the business of romance took its first steps in an arena that is still a struggle for many Americans.

The ad image of Thomas and Eric is an elegant black-white photo of the two of them on the front steps of a NYC apartment house — Thomas seated above Eric, their arms intertwined. The ad’s theme is “Will You?” and the balance of the ad says:

“Will you promise to never stop completing my sentences or singing off-key, which I’m afraid you do often? And will you let today be the first sentence of one long story that never, ever ends?”

That’s Tiffany’s text not theirs, said Thomas.

For a few days, it was the most trending story in the world behind the Paris terrorist shootings. Many major U.S. media did stories — Time, Washington Post, CBS, CNN, NBC, USA Today, Sirius Radio and more. Media from Russia also contacted the couple.

All this — and the initial ads did not even name the couple.

“That was our first lesson in this new media — they will find you,” said Thomas.

The campaign, which features six other straight couples, will have a two-year run in print and on billboards. Because of their same-sex married status, Thomas and Eric will have a publicity tour for the ad as well.

Pair all of this with the pending U.S. Supreme Court case this year that aims to settle America’s legal differences over same-sex marriage, and Thomas and Eric might have more than 15 minutes of fame with this.

“We never set out to be a poster child couple for this, but it’s a perfect storm.

“I never thought I’d get married. But when you see an equality disparity, it changes you and you want to fight for human rights of all kinds.”

That fight could come from his upbringing.

Carol Trube is his proud mom, and never feared for the life that awaited her gay son.

“His talent radiates in so many directions. I never worried about the challenges he might face.”

She sees society’s struggle with gay marriage similar to a societal challenge some 50 years ago. And like her son today, she sent a message then, too.

Carol married in Sharon, Pa. in 1968 to Bill, who died in 2008.

At her wedding, she wanted her best friend and her best friend’s brother to sing. They were black.

Family members suggested she ask the minister for permission to have black people perform at her wedding.

“I said ‘Well, I’ll talk to the minister. But they will be singing at my wedding,’” she said — a streak of defiance coming loud and clear.

She said today, you would not even consider having such exclusion. And she believes Thomas and Eric will have a role as America evolves with this latest issue of acceptance.

Thomas attended Warren Harding and traveled a bit after his 1988 high school graduation before finally enrolling at YSU, where he was a communications major and performed in theater.

He set out for New York in 1999 and had work in acting as “that guy” in the party scene or the restaurant scene — “When In Rome,” “Duplicity,” “Sex and the City,” “Ugly Betty” and more. He has some cool modeling photos. And he is now in fashion, working for designer Sophie Theallet.

He and Eric met in 2011, became a couple not long after, and married last May.

An agent friend made them aware of a casting call for the ad. They interviewed with the casting director. In October they learned they were it, and the photographer would be Peter Lindbergh. His iconic images for magazines and features include names like Travolta, Stone, Madonna, Malkovich, Turlington, Crawford, Tina, Jagger and others.

The shoot was in a New York neighborhood. After several hours and thousands of photos, the final image that is being used was a candid moment actually shot during a break, said Thomas.

Tiffany has been brief in explaining the campaign and Thomas and Eric, offering just this statement to various media:

“Nowadays, the road to marriage is no longer linear. True love can happen more than once with love stories coming in a variety of forms.”

Tiffany’s is not the first company to feature gay-theme ads. A New York Times 2013 article listed these companies as having launched similar ads in mainstream media: Expedia, Amazon, American Airlines, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Bloomingdale’s, Crate & Barrel, Gap, General Mills, Google, Kraft Foods, Johnson & Johnson, MasterCard, Microsoft, J.C. Penney and Redhook Ale Brewery.

The business news website Minyanville credits furniture maker Ikea with the first-ever mainstream gay commercial.

Well, almost mainstream.

The 1994 TV commercial aired in New York and D.C., ran after 9:30 p.m., and was never seen again after that one airing.

Business mogul Richard Branson launched Virgin Cola in 1998 and included an ad of two men kissing, but it played only in New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Today, the retail sector is following America.

A Pew Research poll last fall that found 52 percent of America supports same-sex marriage equality. In 2001, only 35 percent of America was in support. Oddly, it’s not just younger adults. The approval rate among Americans over age 70 and age 50 grew as well.

In 2015, our nation’s highest court will again tackle the debate. There are 36 states that have approved same-sex marriage, while other states have successful referendums defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

With rallies planned, Thomas said they are already getting invites in just the first couple weeks of the Tiffany news.

“We’re interested in attending any campaigns where people would think we could help with change,” said Thomas. “Things change. I just feel once you see it and are around it, you see we’re just like everyone else.”