No matter who we are or who we're in love with, each relationship we have will, like it or not, face its challenges in society. There's always going to be someone who will criticize, spread rumors or just try to somehow come between you and who you love simply because, for whatever reason, they don't approve of you and your partner being together. This is a normal thing, sadly, and can usually not be avoided; however, there are plenty of positive things that outweigh all the negativity. While many of these positive things may be taken for granted in a "normal" relationship because they are seemingly little things, they may cause others to worry about something as strong as a death threat.

To give a personal view, I want to talk about my relationship.

Let's start by setting the stage: I live in a highly conservative area where anyone who is not straight and cis is automatically condemned. Unbeknownst to the majority of my friends and all of my family, I am in a relationship with someone of the same biological sex. On top of that, I identify as male, though I have a female body. Now, according to rules of math (or at least what I can remember from my high school algebra classes), these two negatives should cancel out. Sadly, that rule does not work in this sense and I risk double condemnation from my peers on a day to day basis.

Because of this social threat, my partner and I are limited to what "couple stuff" we can do outside of a locked bedroom. Some days we can brush it off and be accepting of that fact because we realize that, for now, there is nothing we can do to change the views of others. However, there are some days that we find ourselves jealous of other couples who carelessly share hugs and kisses, hold hands and send each other an "I love you" without stares or threats. Some people know that one day they will be able to sleep next to who they love and not think twice about it because they are the "acceptable type" of couple in our society

I want to be able to lie down with her every night and look forward to the next day instead of fear it.

I don't want to be afraid of being hurt or killed because of who I love. I don't want to be afraid of her being hurt or killed for loving me. I don't want to risk losing all I have because I can not be seen as anything greater than dirt due to my identity.

I don't want everyone to agree with us. I just want them to accept who we are: People, human beings, equal. It shouldn't matter who I love as long as we love each other; no matter what, it's nobody's business but our own.

Let us live.

Let us love.