In case you're happily coupled and/or trust-funded enough not to have noticed, being single is fucking expensive. Which is one of the reasons TikTokers have flooded the platform in recent months to offer their hand in lavender marriage.
Historically, a "lavender marriage" referred to a seemingly heterosexual union between a man and a woman wherein one or both parties was secretly part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Designed to conceal sexual orientation in a time when being queer could result in severe discrimination or violence, the term is most famously linked to early 20th-century Hollywood, when queer stars entered straight-presenting marriages to protect their image and reputation—and, of course, "their value to studios as box office draws," says queer historian Justin Bengry.
Fast-forward several decades, and, in yet another sign of our regressive times, lavender marriages are back on trend—but this time with a uniquely 2020s twist. While some of TikTok's lavender marriage renaissance is tied to anxieties about the future of LGBTQIA+ rights under Trump's America: Part II, the sham marriages Gen Zs are joking (kind of) about seem to have less to do with obscuring queer identity and more more to do with achieving financial security and stable companionship in a time when both have become increasingly elusive, particularly for those of us navigating early adulthood in an age of inflation and loneliness epidemics.
Back in September, queer TikToker Robbie Scott was among the first to kick off the trend when he announced applications were now open to be his partner in lavender marriage. |
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