Why does society advocate gay rights but spurn polygamists "rights"?

1. 72

   ithabiseposted 11 years ago

   Why does society advocate gay rights but spurn polygamists "rights"?
   
   Is there a double standard? What makes the two different? Is there a moral boundary?
   
   

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2. 0

   Sooner28posted 11 years ago

   It's only a double standard if you also believe that allowing heterosexual marriage, while banning polygamy, is unfair.  Why you ask?
   
   The core of marriage, the absolute defining feature of the institution, is about two people who love each other expressing a life-long commitment to have and to hold, ti'll "death do they part."  There is nothing inherent about polygamy that would exclude people from engaging in committed, loving relationships of this type, the same way heterosexuals do.  I think it's ridiculous to ban polygamy.  If consenting adults desire to be in the relationship, then I have no beef.  It's a free choice, even if I personally would never choose such a situation.
   
   That being said, it's clear that gay marriage and polygamy have no relation whatsoever.  To my knowledge, most polygamist relationships have been of the polygyny type, which is entirely heterosexual.  I don't believe there is even a word to express the idea of a gay man having multiple husbands, or a gay woman having multiple wives.  This shows how language structures our reality.
   
   Banning two, or three, or even four people who are in a committed relationship from marrying is just simple discrimination.  There is no alternative way to put it, without engaging in Orwellian doublespeak, which many social conservatives typically do when attempting to justify their bigotry.

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3. 60

   MickSposted 11 years ago

   Because homosexuals have stronger lobbying groups.

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4. 79

   dashingscorpioposted 11 years ago

   The vast majority of society believes in monogamy between (two people) when it comes to marriage. Having multiple partners and children with them as one family unit is something that is not likely to catch on at least not in America. Maybe it has to do with the belief by most people that married couples are "soulmates".
   Lastly not many men want other men sleeping with their wife just as not many women would be cool with other women sleeping with their husband. Being "in love" and "sharing" mates rarely goes together whether one is married or not. That goes for both straight and gay couples I would imagine.

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5. 58

   TheLifeExperimentposted 11 years ago

   I actually debated this in philosophy class...While I honestly don't care who is with who, having more than one girlfriend or wife is a little weird for modern society. Plus, homosexuals are found all around the world, while polygamy is typically in small clusters in extremely religious bits of the world. Therefore, there are much less people who would be affected by laws about polygamy than there would by laws about homosexuality. There are also concerns about polygamy: why are they really doing this? What are their real motives? How will it affect their children by having one father and 8 mothers? What will it teach their children about relationships? There are also (granted, more far fetched) concerns about rape, sex trafficking, and incest. Typically with gay couples, they just love each other and all they want are rights to love. Polygamists haven't been "investigated", for lack of a better word, enough. Like I said, I don't care how many spouses you have, but there are more risks than there are with homosexuality.

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