When my would-be husband and I met in 1991, at SUNY Geneseo, in New York State, falling in love was simple.  Though he is dark-skinned and of Puerto Rican descent and I am pale-skinned and of Western European ancestry, we freely grew close, introduced each other to family and friends, and soon were engaged to be married.  Though we would sometimes receive curious stares and unsolicited opinions about interracial relationships--we still do sometimes--the thought that our marriage could be controversial or unconventional did not cross our minds. In the Spring of 1996, when we were making final preparations for our June 1 wedding, we went shopping for a topper that would sit on the cake.  We preferred a traditional one with the figure of a bride and groom: for us, that would be one pale and the other dark.  Try as we might, we could not find even one that reflected an interracial couple, so we settled on a clear one made from glass.  It was lovely, the wedding day was lovely, and we have enjoyed 26 lovely years of marriage. However, that cake topper, for me, has grown more complicated over the years.  Now, it reminds me of our nation's prejudicial and restrictive track record, when it comes to marriage rights.  That simple cake decoration now reminds me of a human right that I hold dear: the right to love and to marry whomever we choose.  Though falling in love with my husband was simple, preserving marriage rights for all is not.  This glass ornament will always remind me to help protect human rights, to stay informed, and to fight for the values that are dearest to me.  

– EQ

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more