Is polygamy next legal battleground?

Of course it is. (EDIT: I entered the thread as just another poster, answering my own question). Gay marriage will be legal throughout the United States very soon, or at least in the next twelve years. That's a given. It may take as little as one or two. So the next legal and marriage rights battleground there and throughout the world will be polygamy. If two women love a guy, and he loves both of them, then the U.S. HBO series "Big Love" shows that it looks about the same as any other marriage, it just depends on the number of people unified in total support of each other and sometimes at each other's throats.

All the other great apes are polygamous in their relationships and social bonds. Polygamy is very common in some countries, especially amongst those with lots of money (and even in nonpolygamous countries, very powerfrul men usually have a mistress or two and that's just seen as normal and is no big deal in lots of nations). With gay rights rolling towards an inevitable win, does that means that three men can marry each other once polygamy is allowed. An OP did a thread in 2010 about "Can Three Bisexuals Be Legally Wed Polygamists in California?" - which, imnho, is one of the better thread names I've seen at ATS.

www.abovetopsecret.com... That thread here.

So, the point of this thread is to make the assumption that the gay rights movement will obtain gay marriage in every civilized nation, it's just a matter of time because the momentum is all one-way and coasting on its own. And that the next civil rights associated with marriage will be polygamy. It's the only one left which demans consenting adults to make a marriage agreement. Bestiality won't be fought as a legal civil right, because no consent can be given by the animal that would stand up in a court of law. All bestiality is rape, and that's not going to be legalized. Incestous marriage? Will dad marry his daughter? Not in my imagination of "knowing" level, that won't be allowed because it's just gross to the human social brain, but the right likely can be legally argued by consenting adults, I guess. Gross. Child-adult marriages. Nope, won't happen, no consenting adult in the mix. In the U.S. the age of consent is falling quickly, but NAMBA, ain't gonna happen dudes, and they know it.

Which leaves polygamy, which seems pretty normal to me. That's because I know humans are apes and apes practice polygamy. Would that stand up as a legal argument?

And of course theres the "What would happen" question. A polygamous triple or quadruple ("would you like to go on an octagonal-date with us?") moves into, say, the U.S. from Saudi Arabia and want citizenship. Wouldn't they be allowed to stay married even when citizenship were granted? They'd have a very good legal argument, and might win that case depending on the forward-lookingness of the Supreme Court. In twelve years they'd win it for sure. Legal polygamy is coming, it's also inevitable. Just a matter of how long it will take, another decade or more? So three options are "under a decade", "over a decade" or "never". The "never"'s have a hard case to sell, I personally think it's over/under twelve years in the U.S..

Here is the wikipedia page on "Polygamy in North America" en.wikipedia.org... and it has a long list of countries where it is legal. It's many more than I thought possible. It's so common in some parts of the world it's not even looked at, it's part of the landscape.

This is the wikipedia page for the legal status of polygamy, with a color coded may right up front. It's a common form of marriage. So how can other nations not recognize the marriage status of a triple if that triple want to become citizens and enjoy the rights of the United States and it's form of government? And if one triple from another country is accepted, then citizens of America could form that type of relationship too. (I guess they can in those other nations, so a triple from, say, Florida, would go to Chad to get married, then move back. They'd have a legal arguement for full equal marriage rights under international law, but probably not U.S. law until a few cases are decided in their favor. Over/under twelve years?

I dont care if plygs marry or not... but I dont personally feel comfortable equating a religious choice with homosexuality when we're speaking of the rights and legal issues. I know its a matter of "marriage" but they are very far apart as far as the rights issue, legal issue, contractural issues, and choice VS not choice concerning a "lifestyle". Thats my opinion in a very brief nutshell anyway!

reply to post by Advantage


Thanks. But do you think it'll be legal in most or all of the United States in under twelve years, over twelve years, or never?

Originally posted by Aleister
reply to post by Advantage

 

Thanks. But do you think it'll be legal in most or all of the United States in under twelve years, over twelve years, or never?

edit on 27-3-2013 by Aleister because: (no reason given)

Not really. But if we are entertaining the idea...depends on if we can figure a way to make a "lifestyle" fit in with state and federal law. I dont see how we can do this.. specifically the "entitlements" issue when a guy marries so many "celestial wives" he cant feed the gaggle of offspring he has. Thats one huge issue in the plyg community.. welfare and etc...

In Canada, it would make a mess of our tax system.
Under marriage or commonlaw marriage, a person can claim their children and spouse. To be able to claim multiple wives as dependents, and way more children than possible with just one wife, they would be raising the tax bracket for everyone to make up for that.

Other than the tax issue, there's nothing stopping multiple people from living together.

reply to post by Advantage

A very good point. Those opposed will bring up the children issue, especially if the people are poor and just trying to get some more governmental money. Very good point. Yet would the legitimate loving triple be denied their personal rights because some people will abuse the system? Maybe. I'm leaning a little over twelve years now, not taking that into account before - the children and the welfare playing of the system.

But do you guys think it will become the next battleground. Which I guess is the name of the thread, I jumped into that over/under question as one of the crowd, but as creator of the thread I'll ask the opening question over again, will it be the next legal fight?

If a guy is dumb enough to marry more than one woman at a time, he deserves it and may all their "cycles" coincide.

And the flip side, if you think you can find a woman who is willing to pick up after more than one man at a time, I have a bridge for sale.

I will say no in the 12 year time frame you laid out.
Women in countries who are basically chattel, not allowed to work or even drive have few choices when it comes to the comforts of this life. Also when you are married off at the tender age of 5, 6, 7, (as is the custom in some places) you probably don't have much to say about what is going on.

One thing my wife hates about her culture are the men and their habit of being married (pala ya) and having a couple of mia noi's (little wives) on the side. When the wife finds out it usually results in a divorce or worse yet a butcher knife to the offending organ of the male (always duck eats or dog eats once it is thrown outside; used to make the front page!!), or mum is the word and the marriage survives....

Also another tidbit if I remember correctly is the sign for disharmony in Chinese writing is 2 women under the same roof..It is really up to the first wife in a family to help and chose the wives and make sure they will be an asset and not a problem if they are allowed to join the family...Does it work in some places with some folk the answer is obviously yes; it can have its' merits but........I got my hands full with what I got and am not looking;..... as a matter of fact I avoid eye contact when overseas for I swear my wife has eyes that can see around corners!!.

This topic was posted earlier here:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Please add further comments to the ongoing discussion in the above linked thread.
Thanks

**Thread Closed**