What's More Heartwarming: Chicago Couple's Marriage Proposal or Stranger's Reaction to It?

CHICAGO, IL — Public marriage proposals have become fairly common events, and in the current age of peak social media, it's become acceptable to share these once personal and private displays over Facebook, Twitter and other online platforms.

And acceptance is what has people around the internet talking about a Chicago couple's recent marriage proposal at The Art Institute. Recently, Jessica Rodriguez popped the question to her girlfriend, Chelsea Miller, at the museum.

Here's what Rodriguez said and what it looked like when she dropped down on bended knew, courtesy of her Instagram account:

Photos and videos of that special moment were posted online over the weekend by Rodriguez and her brother, and the enthusiastic and supportive responses have been overwhelming, snowballing from Twitter comments into articles like the one you're reading. Even E L James, author of "Fifty Shades of Grey" and its sequels, chimed in:

But people weren't simply helping the young couple celebrate their love or congratulate them on their pending nuptials. They also were reacting to an unsuspecting museum-goer's genuine reaction to the proposal.

Commenters have been almost as enamored with the older woman's expression of what appears to be joy and surprise at Rodriguez officially putting a ring on Miller's finger. Yes, it's an adorable coda to an already adorable and romantic scene. But it also embodies something deeper than merely another addition to the seemingly endless flow of cutey-cute videos and memes that whip through users' social media feeds.

Same-sex marriage has only recently been recognized by the U.S. legal system, and while the significance of that can't be downplayed, the importance of the woman's authentic response in the photo can't be ignored by many members and supporters of the LGBTQ community. It's another illustration of the continuing social acceptance of same-sex unions, a leveling of the marriage playing field, so to speak, that could eventually see modifiers like "same-sex" and "heterosexual" vanish in favor of simply calling it "marriage."

The importance certainly hasn't been lost on Rodriguez, who is working toward becoming a lawyer. Here's what she told News.com.au:

"Having now the right to marry is just so important and is a step to show that in this country we are making progress to see LGBT people as humans and not second-class citizens.

“We plan on having a family and want our children to grow up to feel equal.

"With two married parents, who committed to each other under the law and under a spiritual ceremony.

"It’s really no different than why a straight couple would want to get married, you know. To show commitment to one another and share the rest of their lives together."

Some brides-to-be might be irked that a complete stranger was diminishing such a personal event. But Rodriguez has nothing but praise for the woman in the photo:

Speaking of praise, Rodriguez says the online responses from the proposal postings have been about 95 percent positive, the News.com.au reports. The other 5 percent have alternated between homophobic and sexist, two things the internet leads the field in, the report added.

Of course, some social media observers have had more pressing questions when it comes to the proposal's affect on the couple's future outside the societal impact. Like when's the big day going to be for Rodriguez and Miller, who have been living together in Chicago for two years?

Rodriguez told News.com.au that they haven't set a date, but they expect to officially tie the knot in a year or two in Texas.

And what about those commenters who have been swept away by the couple's proposal but haven't been caught in the viral whirlwind created by the political implications of it? For those few, it's gotta be the shoes.

More via News.com.au

Jessica Rodriguez (left) proposes to her girlfriend, Chelsea Miller, recently at The Art Institute of Chicago. Photos and a video of the moment became a viral sensation, especially after some commenters pointed out the reaction of an unknown woman watching the event. (screen capture via Chelsea Miller | YouTube)

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