Why 'The Bachelor' Needs A Major Update

One of the biggest takeaways from The Bachelor is that finding true love is indeed possible. Despite the various staged twists and turns, fans have seen many Bachelor couples emerge from the show and remain stable. But the enduring fantasy dating show has had one consistent blind spot: There has never been a queer Bachelor (or Bachelorette, for that matter). This has become more and more noticeable over the years. With the premiere of Logo's Finding Prince Charming, a dating show that focuses on one gay male contestant finding love, the lack of diversity in sexuality of the much more mainstream Bachelor is glaring. And despite the nonsensical reasons why there's been resistance to casting a gay Bachelor, it seems that Australia's version of The Bachelor has elicited a love story that totally proves the show can successfully foster romances that are more reflective of modern society.

Case in point? Enter Megan Marx and Tiffany Scanlon. Both women had been cast as hopefuls for the affections of the male Bachelor during their season. As viewers have seen on the U.S. version, the women were part of a larger pool and went through the rote process of dates, social gatherings, and elimination ceremonies. But the way Marx tells their story on her Instagram, things took a surprising turn when she met Scanlon.

Marx described their instant spark and wrote:

From that first cocktail party, it was like this instant calibration between souls, as if we had known each other once before. Friendship ripened into something bolder, trust in a very strange situation was formed, and now every adventure we have rivals the other- and continues to make plans for itself.

These women fell in love on a show that is unconsciously set up not to let queer love flourish, and oh my god, it's too beautiful. I am a sucker for love stories like this one. What Marx and Scanlon's relationship proves (not that they have to prove a darn thing to anyone) is that you may never know where you will meet your special someone, and that it can even happen on a show geared toward idealizing heterosexual love. It's perfect.

Which brings me to this very salient point: Why are those in charge at The Bachelor so dead set on continuing to romanticize traditional relationships? There is a clear spectrum of sexuality that many eligible singletons fall into, so why not have a Bachelor/ette that is reflective of that? The set-up of their show, regardless of whether or not it's an international version, still fosters different kinds of bonds. For Marx and Scanlon, it was romance. If love can strike anywhere, then at least provide a scenario meant to let it take root and grow, rather than happen accidentally.

Call me a sap all you want. Marx and Scanlon's love story will have me cheering for a queer Bachelor and Bachelorette from now on.

Images: Matt Dunn/ABC