It’s hard to believe, but it was around
1992 before a majority of Americans supported interracial marriage. That’s crazy!
Also crazy: kids who were born in 1992 are turning 21 this year, which means they’re just hitting the world of adult dating. Raised in a climate of tolerance and approval, interracial coupling is simply no big deal to these youngsters.
And on June 12, we’re coming up on the 46th anniversary of
Loving v. Virginia, the Supreme Court case that ended state bans on miscegenation. At the same time, we’re just days away from a Supreme Court ruling on Proposition 8, another milestone in the civil rights fight.
So, with interracial couples no big deal, a civil rights milestone nearing the half-century mark and another milestone waiting in the wings, is marriage and equality on everyone’s mind at this year’s Pride?
Well, no, not really. We found some interracial couples at LA Pride in West Hollywood this weekend, and asked them how they’re feeling at this crossroads of history. Mostly, they were happy just to have found each other and to be enjoying a sunny day in the park. The legal ramifications can wait for another time.
Click through for a photo gallery of the happy LGBTs. All photos by
Matt Baume.
Angelo and Matt
“We didn’t know it was the anniversary of
Loving,” said Angelo, “but we know it was a struggle.”
Andrew and Norman
“We don’t know anything about the marriage stuff … We’re not really following marriage equality.”
Dudley and Aaron just met. The beginning of something beautiful?
Elizabeth and Teresa came to see the music acts.
Carlos and Augusto are just friends. They appreciated all the “informational stuff and resources.”
David and Kevin
“We haven’t been to Pride in years, and we wanted to see how it was. Still great!”
Jordan and Kristine
“Pride means joining together in a big mass.”
Noah and Marcos came with friends for the “togetherness and community.”
Maribel, Nori and Avyn
Maribel and Nori are a couple, and came with their friend Avyn.
Kass and Cookie
“We come to Pride every year — it’s tradition.”
Tyler, Ross and Freddy
“We read the news about marriage on Gay Voices.” [Disapproving look from reporter.] “And also on Queerty!”
Anton, Weston and Gabe
Gabe is straight, and met up with inter-generational couple Weston and Gabe. All three agreed that their favorite part of Pride is the “hot drunk naked people.”
Weston is amazed by how fast marriage equality is happening. “It’s ridiculous how all these states are passing it, and California is behind.”
Aundrea and Lexi
“We think the Supreme Court’s going to drop Prop 8 on a technicality. They’ll go for DOMA though. There’s no way that’ll stay.”
Isaiah and Madison
“Marriage equality will be legal after the Supreme Court decides Prop 8.”
Malcolm and Anthony had their portrait crashed mid-snap by a mysterious interloper. After she wandered off, they explained that they’re just friends, but came to Pride “looking for a future husband.”
Ben and Aaron have been together about three years and run vintage fashion shop LA Glaneur.
Derrick and David feel that there’s nothing remarkable about being an interracial couple.
Skylana and Robin
“We’re here to see Erotic City and the Parade.”
Gary and Tony
“We came to Pride for each other.”
watching1
Given the recent backlash against the benign interracial Cheerios commercial, I’d say racism is still very much alive and kicking. Still way too many people who think “mixing the races” is wrong. It’s crazy. You’d think they’d feel the same way about mixing the sexes, but no…
Dionte
@watching1: lol @ mixing the sexes
B Damion
Lets be real y’all..most people ignorant or otherwise think of interracial couples as black $ white. I didn’t see a lot of “interracial” couples.
Say what you wanna say but it’s the truth. hmmmmmm…
B Damion
LOL….ignore me y’all am a little off (cray,cray) today lol…
wendell
Wow! This really exemplifies the racism within gay culture. NOT every interracial couple within the community is made up of white + person of color!!!! Gay culture has always put on a pedestal a person of color worshipping some white man or woman. This has been done at the expense of ignoring and downright reviling those people of color who enter into relationships between one another and across ethnic lines with other people of color. You guys had a chance to make a good point about “love being love” with whomever one chooses as a mate BUT you did not. You failed!!!! Rather you upheld the status quo of people of color ALWAYS wanting a white person, white is right and preferred. This may come as a surprise, but seeing two men of African descent love one another is BEAUTIFUL. Seeing two Asian men love one another is BEAUTIFUL! Seeing an Asian and man of African descent in love with one another is BEAUTIFUL!….o
Wingfield
“We don’t know anything about the marriage stuff … We’re not really following marriage equality.”
Gotta love the responses hah. I was surprised tho for an article about interracial relationships the majority of these pictures aren’t even relationships… Just friendships
Niall
What is it about pics from pride parade? A lot of the people there just seem like the kind of people I’d run far, far away from irl.
Hansolo
@wendell: Agree with you 100%. What do you expect from a white establishment?
deacon
@wendell: I feel where you’re coming from and see your point Wendell….
deacon
this was a big “FAIL”. Wouldn’t it have been more beneficial to verify the people in the photo’s you posted were in fact in a relationship plus it would have helped if you listed the persons ethnicity, most of the people you posted looked as if they were Caucasian, and two latin people in a relationship isn’t an interracial relationship for example if one is of Cuban descent and they other Mexican that would make them in a intercultural relationship.
Merv
Isn’t this the norm these days? At least half the couples I know, gay and straight, are interracial. I don’t really think anything of it.
Spike
Looked like a bunch of pictures of random friends and couples at LA Pride, last I checked most gay couples don’t identify as in race or out of race when it comes to their relationship. But if Queerty wants to to push that topic for the sake of posting a bunch of pictures of random friends and couples at LA Pride, so be it.
mpwaite
I have never cared for PRIDE celebrations because it seems to bring out the trashiest of people. I LOVE gay people, however, why do we go out of the way to make total and complete fools of ourselves at PRIDE celebrations??
Bee Gaga
@wendell: Preach
Bee Gaga
@deacon: Hell the vast majority of those were just various types of white people even if you have someone who’s cuban and someone who’s “american white” that’s not interracial either because cubans (at least the ones here) are vast majority white it would be an interethnic or international relationship but very few of those pics showed legit interracial couples
colourblind
I found this article to disappointing. If you were celebrating the Love case why were there only 2 couples that were anything like the Love. I find it so disappointing that a community that is suppose to be so welcoming is still so segregated and it’s passed as ok because it’s a “preference”.
David
@deacon: My boyfriend and I are pictured in picture 17. We were specifically asked about our relationship status while being photographed.
Derrick and I, after thinking about the question asked, decided that a better response would be that we actually hadn’t thought of ourselves as being an interracial couple until we were asked.
@colourblind : I do not see my love for my boyfriend as a preference. I find him to be a gorgeous man with a loving heart. I did not seek him out because of his skin color; I would love him just the same no matter his ethnicity.