[Bella’s intro: In this guest post, Craig Wynne argues that even in these dire times, there are things we can do to create a more fair society for people who are not married. I hope he is right that change will happen, and maybe even sooner than he predicts.]
Why Politicians Will Eventually Start to Pay Attention to Singles
Guest Post by Craig Wynne
I’ve had the pleasure of being part of a number of singles groups on Facebook; thanks to a specific group called Community of Single People, along with my obsession with literature on the subject of singlehood, I’ve developed a great deal of knowledge on it. I’ve written blog postings, a few articles for Singular Magazine, and currently have an academic article out for review on the singlist tropes present in the films Crossing Delancey and Trainwreck. I’ve done little things to try to raise awareness of singlism, like writing Norwegian Cruise Lines to get them to change their wording in an ad that focused on “couples,” responding to claims by newspapers that the married are happier, and calling out memes that make assumptions about singles and marrieds.
We have yet to change overall government policies as relates to laws surrounding things like Social Security, taxes, and inheritances. I hear a number of complaints about these on my pages, but I wonder why we don’t actually band together to actually do something about it. Do we not consider it important? I’ve read articles about politicians not paying attention to such issues. I recently read an article by Vicki Larson in which she interviewed a professor of political science, who said that the public hasn’t been made aware of problems by single people. If a large number of us actually brought such slights and discrimination to light, politicians might be more apt to pay attention to us. This is a good point. Here’s what I foresee:
According to the most recent U.S. Census count, the number of people who have never married is increasing. As we continue to progress, and we become more educated on alternatives to the traditional “nuclear family” mindset, that number will continue to increase. Eventually, a lot of these policies are going to be seen as outdated, and a large number of us will band together. However, this will more than likely happen many years from now, long after our generation has passed.
So what can we do? Continue to plant seeds wherever possible. Call people out on microaggressions. Question those policies that marginalize singles. Have the gall to ask to leave early so you can take care of your dog or cat. Most every time I do so, I get either an apology, an awkward laugh, or silence. Very few people want to fight me on this issue because they know they can’t form a coherent argument. The traditional marriage and children model may work for some people. But it doesn’t work for everyone. Just 60 years ago, black people couldn’t use the same water fountains as white people. Just 10 years ago, gay men and lesbians couldn’t marry. Our society is not perfect, but it is progressing. It’s only a matter of time before we singles get the treatment we deserve. We just have to keep moving forward, a day at a time.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Craig Wynne is an Assistant Professor of English. He enjoys reading, writing, hiking, playing tennis, running, adding to his massive DVD collection, playing guitar, and attending concerts. You can learn about his musical adventures through his blog, notenoughconcerts.weebly.com.
About Bella DePaulo
