32) Same-Sex Census

"Prop 8 - The Musical" starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly, and many more... from Jack Black

The 2010 Census will be the first to recognize same-sex marriages. Same-sex couples who indicate that they are married will be counted by the census, even in the 45 states where same-sex marriage isn't yet legal. When the news broke at the beginning of April, gay rights advocates hailed it as a huge step forward. Aside from basic acknowledgment, the Census Bureau's decision defines marriage through mindset/behavior, and not through law.

On the drive into work today, I heard a brief segment on the Marketplace Morning Report about the use of this newly informed census data in marketing to gays. In the report, Linda Golden, a marketing professor at the University of Texas, commented that, "being able to count gay couples who self-identify as married will be gold for advertisers."

Gay rights activists, rejoice. When advertisers identify you as a target demographic, equality is only a matter of time. Your numbers and prominence in American society are robust enough to make brands see dollar signs. As much as anti-gay rights groups work to sweep you under the rug, it won't be long before marketers storm down any barriers to your wallet - including second class citizenship.

(Funny or Die's Prop 8 - The Musical above. Comedy meets foresight.)