Ryan Steinbach wanted to own a flower shop; he just had to convince his domestic partner.
And he did just that.
Steinbach and Stephen English, partners for more than seven years, are now The Blossom Boys, co-owners of a flower and Fair Trade gift shop, located at 9911 S. Walden, in south Chicago's Beverly neighborhood. Yes, in Beverly.
"Beverly is the safest neighborhood in Chicago," English said. "It does not 'feel' like Chicago. The feeling is quaint, warm and friendly ... almost village-like, an oasis in a fast-pasted urban city.
"Real estate is very reasonable in Beverly. You walk down the street and jogging strangers say, 'Hello.' It's a community where people get involved reaching out to neighbors and friends when they are in need. There is very little pretense in Beverly; resident are honest and appreciative of their lives, community and families."
And Beverly has been quite accepting of the gay couple, who now also live in Beverly after moving there about a year ago from the Albany Park neighborhood.
"We love the [ Beverly ] community," Steinbach said. "We had never visited Beverly before we came down to see the store. We thought this could be a diamond in the rough. We knew what we wanted in terms of a store and felt there was nothing like our vision in Beverly.
"It was our gay, North Side friends who thought we were crazy to open a store in what they preconceived [ to be ] a conservative South Side [ area ] . And to name it The Blossom Boys, they thought we were nuts. I think, in fact, some of our friends feared for our safety due to North Side urban myth that all the South Side was prejudiced and dangerous. But we found just the opposite to be true.
"It has been a dream come to be accepted into the 'family of Beverly,' which has a small-town feeling with urban sophistication."
The two have encountered no anti-gay backlash in Beverly. "We are accepted as a hardworking couple who own their own business and give back to the community," English said.
The two left Albany Park for Beverly a little more than a year ago "due to an increase in gang violence," English said. "The final straw being a gang shooting in our front lawn and stray bullets that could have hit my son."
The Blossom Boys officially opened in April 2008, as they purchased the business from a retiring florist. They wanted the store to express their creative freedom and, of course, be their own bosses.
The Blossom Boys encompasses about 1,000 square feet, and is located near the 99th Street Metro train stop, near other specialty shops. Steinbach was a costume stylist-turned-floral designer and plant-care specialist. English is a former sex-abuse counselor and sex educator, senior floral designer and manager.
"Even though we are open five days a week to the public, we work more like seven days a week," English said. "The most challenging part of the business is constantly reinventing the shop and keeping our heads above water with a new small business in this hard economy. Keeping prices reasonable and merchandise which is unique [ can be a challenge ] ."
English said they "are always amazed" that they have sort of beat the odds—being best friends, committed partners and business owners, especially since they are together 24/7.
"I think our abilities and disabilities both complement and support each other," English said.
Steinbach is the organized, reserved and sometimes conservative one; English is more out-of-the-box and free-spirited.
"We do have different ideas on design and therefore learn from each other and challenge our design sensitivity," Steinbach said. "We're accomplishing it by being committed to each other and our mutual vision for the store and the community."
Both said that "just by being ourselves," has helped being gay in Beverly.
"We have shown people we are more than the 'gay guys,'" English said. "We give to the community and present ourselves as social entrepreneurs. In the last year we have changed our store merchandise to approximately 80 percent Fair Trade merchandise, supporting third-world artisans."
They specialize in disabled artists from Kenya, Guatemala and women with AIDS in Uganda.
"In this shaking economy, there is a great joy in buying but also giving back to others less fortunate," English said. "It reminds us all how much we do have. We are involved in global causes, especially combating human sex trafficking as it has moved to America."
To that, The Blossom Boys will host An Evening for Freedom, a fundraiser on Wed., Sept. 15, to help combat sexual trafficking and also to educate the public on the issues. Their website is www.theblossomboys.com .
More about The Blossom Boys:
—High school: Steve: Ashtabula ( Ohio ) High School. Ryan: Springfield High School
—College: Steve: Kent State University 1972; Ryan: Illinois Institute of Art 2001
—Years living in Chicago: Steve since 1972; Ryan since 1998
—Hobbies: Steve: Disability and women's rights and equality; Ryan: Ornamental Goldfish ponds and gardening
—Favorite TV show: Steve: Hot in Cleveland; Ryan: Burn Notice
—Favorite movie: Steve: An Unmarried Woman; Ryan: Sleeping Beauty
—Favorite Chicago-area restaurant: Beverly's Cafe 103 ( both )
—All in the family: Jason English, 31, was a single-parent adoption by English. Jason now lives in Evanston. English adopted Jason at age 3. "He has overshot any prognosis that was ever set for him by doctors, and I am very proud of Jason," English said. Jason was born with congenital heart disease and had a stroke at six months. Jason is heterosexual.
