Yo, Australia, Keep Up!

[This is a backdated post]

I've talked before about stereotypes and how they inform our views of people and places and right now the stereotype that Australia is a laid back and friendly place is being kicked repetitively in the country-balls by our current government.

Canada has had marriage equality since 2005.

New Zealand recognised marriage equality in 2013.

Extra Catholic Ireland got their shit together in May of this year.

Now the United States, one of the most conservative western countries has ruled marriage equality is constitutional.

And Australia is sitting here with its thumb up its bum, 70% of the population all for it but our PM keeps muttering about tradition and how it's not what Australia wants and I can't get my head around it.

If you're worried about not getting voted in next election you shouldn't be worrying about how recognising marriage equality might see you booted out of power, you should worry about all the other things you've incompetently bungled have left the country wondering how the hell you got voted in in the first place.

So what the world has been learning about us in the last handful of years is that Australia is super laid back and friendly as long as you're white* and Christian**.

This isn't properly representative of us as a country but for some reason the rabid conservative minority has people in power convinced that they hold the sway or power.

I knew we wouldn't be super quick off the mark when it came to marriage equality because we handle change increeeeeeeedibly slowly*** but if you had told me that Ireland and the USA would get there first I would have taken your temperature.

Every time something went wrong in other countries there would be a tide of comments sweeping across social media that said 'That's it, I'm moving to Australia!'

These days a good portion of Australians have started eyeing off other countries in return.

For instance if Tony Abbott gets re-elected my Google search history is going to start filling up with queries like 'Is it possible to exorcise an entire continent?', 'How much land do you need to secede from your suck-ass country?' and 'What are the most common indicators of demonic interference in the election process?'.

Stop crapping up the environment, our economy and social progress and get yourself worked out, Australia.

We're looking like jerks in front of the other countries!



*Thanks, extra racist immigration policies that hark back to the White Australia Policy, yes this was a thing.

**Even though tonnes of Aussies aren't and even those who are don't attend a shit load of church these days.

***You notice how we're not a republic yet? Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeah. We even held a referendum on it and it went nowhere.