"My parents won't accept my interracial relationship!"

You Said:
"I've been dating Alex for about a month, and I really like him. When my parents realized that I was seeing someone, they said they wanted to meet him. I invited Alex to dinner at my house, and he was super excited to come. Alex and I had fun at dinner, but my parents were pretty quiet the whole time. When he left, my parents sat me down and told me they didn't want me seeing him anymore. I asked why, and they said they didn't think I should be dating a Hispanic guy because I'm white. I was so mad! Alex is a total sweetheart, and I don't think it should matter that we're not the same race. My parents and I got into a huge fight, during which they forbid me from seeing him again. What should I do?"

We Say:
Relationships are always hard, but having parents who don't accept your BF is really frustrating. While you may not agree with your parents' opinions, prejudice unfortunately does exist, more prevalently among older generations. That said, you should talk to your parents alone and explain to them how awesome your BF is. It might help to ask them why they think the way they do and show why your BF isn't like that. Make sure you don't whine -- dating is a grown-up thing, and the more you act like a child, the less likely they are to think that you can make your own decisions when it comes to guys. Then, you might suggest another meeting so they can talk to your BF more and get to know who he is and why you like him so much. But while we suggest sticking with your convictions (and your BF!), the important thing is not to disconnect yourself from your parents completely. Your relationship is still young, and there's a lot of ways that it can go. (Besides, wouldn't it suck if you cut yourself off from your 'rents, and then ended up breaking up with your boy soon after?) While at first you may fail in trying to convince your parents, talking to them over time may open their eyes to some unfounded ideas they might have and you may have more success with time.

"My Mom is dating my teacher!"