Since its debut in 2020, Netflix dating show Love Is Blind has been asking: can you really fall in love with someone sight unseen? Eight seasons later we can comfortably say: yes! But it will often go downhill the minute you meet in real life.
But in Minneapolis, it wasn’t lack of attraction that caused issues. Three out of the four brides who made it to the altar said “no”, with two citing political differences as fundamental incompatibilities. The season was shot in the lead up to the 2024 US general election.
Though season eight couple Sara and Ben formed a strong bond in the pods, she was taken aback when he said, “I’m not one way or the other,” on Black Lives Matter. “I’m kind of ignorant towards that stuff,” he said, admitting he did not vote in 2020.
The situation got worse when Ben met Sara’s Lesbian sister and her partner, who pointed out that his lack of opinions on politics, BLM and LGBTQ+ rights only served to demonstrate his privilege. Say it back!!
So when it came time to say make at the decision at the altar, Sara ultimately could not overlook their differences.
“I love you so much… But when we talked about a lot of the values I hold so close to my heart, making this decision, my mind is telling me I can’t,” she said. When she spoke to her family in the car afterward about why she had rejected him, she referenced George Floyd, the anti-LGBTQ+ stance of his church, and “the vaccine.”
Meanwhile, like many Love Is Blind couples, Devin and Virginia bonded over their mutual faith in God. But they held differing views on how this should affect their vote.
Ultimately leading Virginia to turn down Devin at the altar. She said at the reunion that though she didn’t want to go into the details of Devin’s personal beliefs, she would be “really clear” about her own.
“I 100 percent support the LGBTQ community,” she told hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey. “I also believe that women should have the decision to choose if they want to have an abortion or not. I also believe that different religions should be valued. That is our different ways of communicating to God, like different languages.”
This season of Love Is Blind raises the question: with the US getting closer to Gilead by the day, is it ever still possible to date someone who won’t vote for your rights? And with Trump’s policies entering ever more intimate parts of our lives, can you overlook someone’s voting record when you share a bed?
