Brad Taylor and Dylan Meehan: Yearbook photo of gay teen couple goes viral

A yearbook photo that shows two gay teens as the "cutest couple," has gone viral after being posted on Tumblr by a friend, who did not expect such an overwhelming level of interest.

"Two of my best friends won cutest couple of our senior class. First time in my school history a same-sex couple has even been able to run for this category, not to mention winning it," writes 18-year-old Chelsea, who attends high school in Carmel, N.Y. "So proud of them, and my school."

Her post been shared over 106,000 times in just three days.

Also see: North Carolina teen mother's photo banned from high school yearbook

"This whole thing has been a bit surreal for us because we have been raised to believe that love is love. We never realized that our happiness and openness would inspire so many individuals," the couple, Brad Taylor and Dylan Meehan, tell the Huffington Post.

"The support we have received from our family, friends, and even strangers has led us to believe that our affection for each other is normal. When we started dating a year ago, the thought of a photo of us travelling throughout the world would be a bit frightening, but now we are proud to be part of the LGBT community," they continue.

The timing of this gay couple yearbook photo sharply juxtaposes a more socially conservative Alabama school that just last year banned a yearbook photo of a lesbian teen in a tuxedo, claiming tradition only allows girls to wear dresses.

Also see: Fourth-grader's pro-gay marriage essay goes viral

This year, two pregnancy-related yearbook bans made headlines.

In North Carolina, 17-year-old Caitlin Tiller's yearbook photo was banned from her high school because it included her one-year-old son. And in Michigan, two pregnant teen girls where not allowed to show their bellies in their high school yearbook photos.