The Happy Ending Conspiracy

Day 9
Firstly, no, I am not talking about this term in the all-too-common internet slang context... google it if you don't know what I'm talking about.


I'm actually talking about the American-dream-white-picket-fence "Happy Ending".  Not to get you all strung out and melancholy, but lets start with some stats, it's about time this blog incorporated a little evidence.


Lets start with some crude rates... (for future reference government stats are a bitch to compile).


Per 1000 people in the Australian population approximately 5 people will get married this year (compared to 8 in 1980). In addition to this, 3 will get divorced, with a mean time spent married of 7 years before separation. Australians are also marrying later, with the mean age being 28-30 years (with women marrying later than men). Only around 54% of the population (over the age of 16) are married.


So what does this tell us? It's tells us that they've forgotten to mention that there's a whole proportion of the population who can't get married at all under Australian law.


With the exception of civil unions and government recognized "domestic partnerships", Queer Australians are being denied the right to this white-picket-fence-white-dress "happy" ending.


Personally, getting married, buying a house, having exactly 2.4 children and a labrador isn't something I see myself doing. But maybe I'd like the choice okay?


To be honest I think the concept of a formulaic perfect relationship with a societally defined happy ending is just another symptom of the oppression and melancholy that stereotypes and prejudice perpetuate in our modern society.


But who has the right to deny an arguable 19% the right to walk down the isle? (yes a study in 2006 found that up to 19% of the Australia population experience some form of same-sex attraction, even if conservative estimates suggest only 2-3% actually identify as homosexual).


Something to lighten mood after that little rant:


3 Reasons Why Same-Sex/Equal Marriage is "Wrong"


- Legalizing Same-Sex marriage will encourage people to be gay, the same way hanging around tall people makes you tall.


-Legalizing Same-Sex marriage will mean more gay people having/adopting children, and gay couples can only raise gay children the same way straight couples only raise straight children.


- Straight couples marriages would come less meaningful if Same-Sex marriage was legalized, the sanctity of Brittany Spears 55-hour-drunk-Vegas marriage would be destroyed!


Hope you're all up in arms,
-Z