Acceptance goes far deeper than you might think. There are three basic levels of acceptance here. Firstly, would be when your parents not only accept the person you are with, but like them as well.  Secondly, your parents could accept the person you are dating with, but still not like him or her. If this is the case, they may allow you to date, but voice their concerns and tell you what they think. Finally, in a more extreme case, your parents might not accept the person at all, and do everything in their power to prevent you from dating. If this is the case, it can be very hard to get acceptance, and nearly impossible for you to get your parents to like them. 

These three levels also apply to your friends, but the results are a little different.  While your parents will (or should) always love you no matter what you do, friends can be more fickle. If your friends don’t accept the person or like your mate, it may create problems with your friendships. They may leave you out of things, and slowly hang out with you less to show their distaste. If your friends accept the person, but don’t like him or her, they may still not want to hang out as much.