It Truly Is Beautiful.

Last Sunday, the entire nation sat on their couches with their friends and family. They drank a lot of beer and mindlessly ate chips and dip as they watched the television intently, with the bets they placed on their favorite team in the back of their thoughts. Last Sunday, of course, was Super Bowl Sunday. And while the overwhelming victory that Seattle took over Denver certainly makes for a game worth discussing, I do not think it is in the public's best interest to listen to my opinion on anything remotely related to the NFL.

Yes, I realize it is a little pathetic that I, a 21-year-old girl who attends college in the football-loving state of Texas, have no knowledge of football or have ever attempted to gain any knowledge of football. Growing up in Orange County, CA and attending a high school whose average SAT scores far exceeded our football record probably has something to do with it. But while I could not for my life tell you the name of a single player on the Denver Broncos, I feel very strongly about one of the quite moving commercials that aired during the Super Bowl this year. I am, of course, talking about the Coca-Cola Super Bowl ad.

I am sure that by now mostly everyone is familiar with the commercial. But for those who are not, it depicts the song "America, The Beautiful" sung in Hindi, Spanish, Tagalog, and four other languages that represent immigrants of the United States. While the advertisement, titled "It's Beautiful," emotionally and expertly depicted the diversity and unity of this country, it also received a large amount of negative backlash for using many languages to sing a patriotic song. One tweet, for example, read: “Dear @CocaCola: America the beautiful is sang in English. Piss off. #DontFuckWithUs.” 

More importantly, however, the commercial featured an interracial gay couple playing with their daughter at a skating rink. According to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), this is the first Super Bowl advertisement to feature a homosexual couple. While the world was anxiously waiting for the major sponsor for the Sochi Games to comment on Russia's anti-homosexual laws, Coca-Cola made a bold statement and a brave move. I could not be more proud to be an American when one of the largest American corporations speaks up for same-sex issues the way it did.

One of my oldest and best friends is a kind, smart, and capable gay man living in this country. There is nothing I want more than for him to live in a world where he is not judged by who he falls in love with, but by the fiber of his character and by the life experiences he has made for himself. When I hear people make anti-gay comments, or when I read in the news about the outrageous and unnecessarily difficult struggle to legalize same-sex marriage in this country, I am angered. I am angry that in 2014 people are still judging others by anything more than the amount of goodness in their heart. I am angry at the thought of my best friend falling in love with a wonderful person, and then not being able to marry him because some suit in a government building can't seem to fathom the simple fact of nature that nobody chooses to be gay. And lastly, I am angry that just because my friend was born a homosexual, every once in a while he has to face ignorant people in this world who see him as a gay man instead of the fun-loving and well-read person that I know and love.

It is because of this anger that I was brought to tears when I saw how happy the same-sex couple and their daughter were in the Coca-Cola ad. That advertisement was not depicting some sort of fantastical, over-the-top happiness that we often see in commercials to better persuade us to purchase the product. The couple was comfortable and at ease as they took each other's hands. There was no concern on their faces of judging stares that may have ensued. The scene was both powerful and politically correct because it showed simultaneously what it means to be an American and what much of the country seems to be afraid of. Showing gay couples in a traditional family setting in the media is all too rare, and it took my breath away to see two men in love enjoying a day at the skating rink with their daughter. 

Coca-Cola could not have done a better job of making a statement against anti-gay sentiments. The ad reminded me and all of America that it does not matter what race you are, what language you speak, or who you fall in love with. Above all, we are all simply human, and we are all Americans who are entitled to acceptance and equality under the law and among our fellow citizens. And that truly is beautiful.