My attitude (once I quit being a mindless zealot homophobe) has always been that consenting adults may do what they please so long as nobody is getting hurt... Well, I make a small exception even to that rule for the S & M community for the masochists who actually do want to be hurt a little.
As for plural marraige, this is also only a question of "consenting adults." I think it is actually very UNhealthy and UNnatural for human beings to be in a monogamous relationship. So long as all parties involved are consenting adults and nobody is getting harmed, let them do as they wish.
In the last five or ten years, I have seen what seems to me to be a real increase in public interest in these sorts of relationships, i.e. polygamy (multiple wives), polyandry (multiple husbands), and polyamoury (muliple partners both male and female). There certainly have been a lot of (VERY BORING) books written about the subject (e.g. "The Ethical Slut").
I SERIOUSLY AND HONESTLY do believe that the "poly" community is actually being impeded by the numerous LOUSEY books written about the "poly lifestyle."
There are also many new websites, meet-up groups, yahoo groups, etc. that are dedicated to the poly-lifestyle, and in my opinion 90% of the posters on those websites are poseurs and FAKES.
Still, amid all the liars, fakes, and increadibly boring books on the subject, are are a few REAL people who are living the poly lifestyle. Many of them are on the surface "cheating," but with the tacit approval and understanding of their spouses, and some are really in multiple "husband" or multiple "wife" marraiges, although the state still only recognizes the first spouse for legal purposes.
I choose not to take a position on plural marriage for these reasons.
The first reason is that I have no desire to be in one. However just because I'm not into it doesn't mean no one else should be allowed to.
The second is that I am not particularly offended by the thought of other people having more than one spouse. After all many people get married and divorced several times over..... Why they shouldn't be allowed to get it over and done with in one go, is well beyond me.
The third reason is that if plural marriage should be illegal, then it really is the responsibility of the powers that be to show a compelling government interest. Frankly I am not sure that such a reason has ever been articulated, but I am sure it is not my responsibility to articulate it. After all I didn't choose to make it illegal.
I would like to say that if people really want their plural marriages to be recognized, I seriously recommend that they take a good look at the work the LGBT community has done, apply the lessons that are a good fit. There is no substitute for the grassroots activism, and legal groundwork that has gotten us where we are today.
This fight for marriage equality is far from over, and it needs to be made one step at a time, on its own merrits. To put it bluntly our opponents have been quite fond of using the slippery slope argument. "If we allow gays to marry... then what will stop men from marrying their daughters..." or "What if I want to marry my dog?" and I am sorry but one of the slippery slope arguments has been "If we allow same sex marriage, then we'll have to allow polygamy"
These arguments are intended to titillate the emotions of voters and derail the movement toward equality. I imagine that proponents of plural marriage will also face such bigotry and frivolous arguments in their struggle, and although I take no position on plural marriage I will stand up against such fallacious arguments in the name of truth.
interesting to see how many of you like to have your own Harems
well the harem rooms at the ottoman palaces really worth seeing, I really wonder how our sultans managed to rule the empire with such harems:)
plus at those times there were lots of eunuchs so called ("harem agasi" in turkish) mostly coming from north africa and castrated at a young age and raised up so and most of them were like well muscled body guards aiming to keep the women from other men in the palace...
very interesting
more on Ottoman Harems and Eunuchs from the below link
three or four threads over, Prop. 8 of Califo-nia?
three or four threads over, Prop. 8 of Califo-nia?
bore somewhere else.
