What a Time for Everyone to Be in Love!

Over the last two centuries, hard-won progress made in the love department has given hope that human rights and equality will reach new heights, by increasingly accepting and celebrating all forms of love.

It is no small feat that the worst crimes against love – such as bigotry, rape, and forced marriage – are now widely denounced as heinous, and are legally unacceptable. It is by far the most inclusive and tolerant time in human history.

In the United States, the support for interracial marriage went from 4% in 1958 to 94% in 2021. As for same-sex marriage, approval went from 27% in 1996 to 71% in 2021. The progress made in interracial and homosexual unions gives the LGBTQ+ community hope that equality and acceptance are possible and can be reached. Child marriage has declined even in countries where such unions are customary.

What’s more, with technology allowing people to communicate and see each other not only in person but also digitally, and modes of transportation being cheaper and more frequent than ever, never in our history has it been easier to connect with loved ones. And modern contraceptive methods becoming more widely accepted has been a game changer for everyone to take control of their reproductive destiny, and, by the same token, improve family living standards. In Bangladesh, for example, only 5% of women were using contraceptives in 1976, and that proportion reached 59% in 2019. Challenges are expected to continue being taken on alongside active efforts, to maintain momentum and keep gaining rights.