History Main / ForbiddenLove

* ''Series/FellowTravelers'': Homosexuality was a crime during TheFifties and TheSixties in America [[note]]the sole exception in this time period is the state of Illinois, which decriminalized same-sex sexual activity in 1961[[/note]], so all same-sex couples were breaking the law simply by being together. Because of this, [[OfficialCouple Hawkins Fuller and Timothy Laughlin]], [[BetaCouple Marcus and Frankie]], and Mary and Caroline are [[ClosetGay closeted]] and must keep their [[SecretRelationship relationship a secret]].

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': Homosexuality and interracial marriages were against the law in the early 20th century Louisiana, so Louis de Pointe du Lac (a black Creole) and Lestat de Lioncourt (a Caucasian) must keep their same-sex romance a [[SecretRelationship secret]], and [[ClosetGay they behave platonically while in public]]. Their immense wealth does provide them with some degree of protection from the authorities, although Deputy Habersham threatens them with a five-year jail term after he discovers that there's only one bed in their boudoir.

* ''Series/{{Forever|2014}}'' has a complex interaction between AgeGapRomance, MayDecemberRomance, and MayflyDecemberRomance. Henry meets Abigail when she's 24 or 25, at the end of World War II, when the difference in their apparent ages is in the socially acceptable direction as Henry [[TheAgeless looks forever 34]]. By the 1982 flashback in "Memories of Murder" the apparent [[AgeGapRomance age gap]] has flipped directions and grown to almost [[MayDecemberRomance three decades]], and when Henry tries to take Abigail out for a night of dinner and dancing to celebrate their [[MayflyDecemberRomance anniversary]], people assume Henry is a [[FamilyRelationshipSwitcheroo son taking his mother out to dinner]]. When he takes her hand and when they dance, Abigail sees people staring at them and whispering disapproval at Henry being [[MayDecemberRomance romantic with a woman]] [[MrsRobinson more than old enough]] [[StacysMom to be his mother]].

* ''{{Series/Cursed}}'':

* ''Film/SuitsOnTheLoose'' follows two juvenile delinquents named Justin and Tyler who disguise themselves as missionaries. Justin starts to fall in love with a woman in the ward named Sarah, but since he's disguised as a missionary they can't really get together at first.

* ''Film/StealingHeaven'': Abelard and Héloïse's illicit affair, due to a number of factors. They include the demand he remain celibate as a teacher, that her uncle is going to arrange Héloïse's marriage with someone else and of course since they're not married also (a serious matter in the setting).
* ''Film/WhereHandsTouch'': Kerstin's past affair with Leyna's father. Leyna's romance with Lutz too. Both are condemned as a result of racism. In the latter case, it has actually been made illegal by the Nazis.

* ''Film/DesperateLiving'': Queen Carlotta refuses to accept Princess Coo-Coo's relationship with Herbert the garbage man.

* ''Film/BicentennialMan'': Portia resists marrying Andrew because [[{{Robosexual}} she's human and he's a robot]], something that society won't recognize. Andrew starts working with the [[OneWorldOrder World Congress]] to get their marriage recognized, finally succeeding on his [[FinaleTitleDrop 200th birthday]].
* ''Film/BonnieAndBonnie'': Yara's relationship with another woman is condemned by her Muslim family and the wider community.
* ''Film/EloisesLover'': Àsia's social circle (her mom and friends) make clear they're against same-sex relationships, which results in great anxiety from her when she falls for a girl and begins a relationship with her. [[spoiler:When it's discovered, Àsia's fearful enough to kill herself.]]
* ''Film/CarmenYLola'': The title characters are from a very traditional Roma community who follow Evangelical Christianity. Given this, same-sex relationships are taboo, so they keep theirs a secret. Carmen also has a fiancé at the start.
* ''Film/{{Rafiki}}'': Kena and Ziki's relationship isn't accepted not just because they're a same-sex couple, but due to their fathers' opposing political candidacies (although Kena's dad isn't aware that it's more than a frienship at first).
* ''Film/Requiem2021'': Any romantic/sexual love by two people of the same sex is utterly taboo, since it's early 1600s England. Evelyn and Mary must keep theirs secret because of this.

* ''Literature/AlwaysComingHome'': In Creator/UrsulaKLeGuin's future history, the Kesh people divide themselves into The Five Houses of Earth. Relationships between people in any one of the Five Houses are taboo and treated as incest, even absent any familial connection. LeGuin describes this by analogy to moiety kinship systems in various real-life cultures.

* ''Literature/AlwaysComingHome'': In UrsulaKLeGuin's future history, the Kesh people divide themselves into The Five Houses of Earth. Relationships between people in any one of the Five Houses are taboo and treated as incest, even absent any familial connection. LeGuin describes this by analogy to moiety kinship systems in various real-life cultures.

* ''Literature/AlwaysComingHome'': In Ursula K. LeGuin's future history, the Kesh people divide themselves into The Five Houses of Earth. Relationships between people in any one of the Five Houses are taboo and treated as incest, even absent any familial connection. LeGuin describes this by analogy to moiety kinship systems in various real-life cultures.

* ''Literature/AnnieOnMyMind'': Liza and Annie keep their relationship a secret due to the prevalent homophobia which condemns same-sex relationships. This also goes for Ms. Stevenson and Ms. Widmer-they've kept this a secret for ''years''.

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': Homosexuality and interracial marriages were against the law in the early 20th century Louisiana, so Louis de Pointe du Lac (a black Creole) and Lestat de Lioncourt (a Caucasian) have to keep their same-sex romance a [[SecretRelationship secret]], and [[ClosetGay they behave platonically while in public]]. Their immense wealth does provide them with some degree of protection from the authorities, although Deputy Habersham threatens them with a five-year jail term after he discovers that there's only one bed in their boudoir.

* A variation in ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', in the episode "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS04E06Rejoined Rejoined]]": in Trill society, it is taboo for a symbiont host to rekindle relationships with people from previous hosts, including with the host of a symbiont from a prior relationship. This is called a "rejoining", and is strictly forbidden under pain of [[PersonaNonGrata exile from the Trill homeworld]] -- a punishment which is essentially a death sentence for the symbiont, since there would be no more Trill hosts after their current host dies. In this specific episode, Jadzia Dax and Lenara Kahn struggle with their feelings for each other in the face of this taboo, as the Dax and Kahn symbionts were joined to a previously married couple, Torias and Nilani.
* ''Series/NoughtsAndCrosses'': Sephy and Callum's interracial relationship, which is not only taboo but also illegal.

** Furthermore, same-sex relationships are taboo, though Marguerite actually uses this to cover up her even more illicit Resistance activities once. Though having sex isn't illegal, she's still been arrested by police multiple times (probably for other things as a form of harassment).
* ''Series/{{Dickinson}}'': Due to the homophobia in their society, Emily and Sue's true feelings for each other must be hidden.
* ''Series/ForLife'': Prison homophobia is {{played for drama}} in one episode, when an Aryan Brotherhood member turns out to have been so terrified of his "brothers" finding out he and his cellmate (who's also Asian, so even worse in their eyes) were lovers he got himself into solitary for hitting a guard so he'd be safe.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'': Queen Eclipsa abandons her throne and her people to marry a monster. They are imprisoned for their treasonous romance, while their illegitimate daughter ([[spoiler:who would grow up to become Miss Heinous]]) is swapped with a peasant girl to be raised as heir to the throne

[[OlderThanDirt As long as people have been falling in love]], social norms have prevented some lovers from being together. Forbidden Love applies whenever taboo tries to prevent two individuals from (openly) being in a relationship. This can result in a SecretRelationship, a SuicidePact, CourtlyLove or even HappilyEverAfter. Compare to StarCrossedLovers, which is about specific circumstances separating lovers rather than social norms, although there may be overlap.

* ''Film/CarmenYLola'': The title characters are from a very traditional Roma community who follow Evangelical Christianity. Given this, same-sex relationship are taboo, so they keep theirs a secret. Carmen also has a fiancé at the start.

This is a SuperTrope, although it depends on the cultural values presented in the work. However, [[IncestIsRelative incest]] is often considered a universal taboo, and pedophilia is likewise frowned upon in many cultures ([[{{Understatement}} to put it lightly]]). As such the following almost always qualify: