On this date in 1967, the US Supreme Court decided the case of Loving v. Virginia, striking down Virginia's anti-misegenation statute. Mildred Loving passed away on May 2 of this year, promting a flurry of moving obituaries. As John Ridley noted on NPR's morning edition, Barak Obama was born of a mixed race marriage in 1961 -- during a time when several states would send cops to break into the bedrooms of and arrest people like his parents.

In related news, the city of Pittsburgh has approved a "Mutual Commitment Registry", which exists to facilitate the provision of domestic partnership benefits by institutions in the city. It's a small step, but it's progress.