Utahn Antipride

[bloodyrosemccoy]

You’ve all presumably heard of the spread of Utardation to Texas. It’s getting more entertaining, too; the ensuing court cases are starting to sound like an insane domino effect of objections.

I used to wonder why people made lawyer jokes.

Also, the Salt Lake Tribune is having an absolute festival of headlines here, even more than the national news. The only one I found remotely interesting was the one on how some polygamists seem to fit in just fine. It’s a portrait of other polygamists in this country, but I found some gaps in the report just from being an anthropologist and knowing just a few polyamorous individuals—I’d be interested to see what someone more in tune with it had to say. (You get the impression from the article that all polygamists, at least around here in this Civilized Country, are a. Mormon and b. polygynous.) I have a very different image of polygamy and polyamory from either that article or the reports of the crazy FLDS—or, more accurately, I have a broader image. I’m not sure how most people might view it. It’s good to get a reminder sometimes. 

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_wastrel/]

I'm curious about what your image of polyamory would be.

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

I'm getting annoyed at the continual use of "polygamist" like it's a dirty word. I have several friends who live in poly households and it works for them just fine. (Wouldn't for me)

But they are all consenting adults, and the fact that this is NOT the case in this community makes a case for investigation as far as I'm concerned. Pregnant 13 yr olds and 16 yr olds with 4 kids - ew.

As I quote I saw on the case says "We're not saying you can't wear prairie dresses. We're saying you can't have sex with a 12-yr-old".

[luinmir.livejournal.com]

The way I see it, most non-FLDS/(occasionally, LDS) poly-whatever households aren't set up to be personality cults* of women dedicated to, and sealed for all eternity to a man. That's my main problem with "plural marriage". This is not polyamory as I've come to know it: as a solution to institutionalized monogamy meant to promote sexual and emotional freedom, and thus more sexual and emotional closeness and equality, for the parties involved. From what I understand, the F/LDS idea of "plural marriage" is not the same kind of thing.

The LDS church has a long way to go toward adequately supporting women--starting with changing their official, doctrinal position that women are essentially baby machines for the Lord. (Don't get me started on the whole "priesthood" business--What the heck, Joseph Smith?) While even the friendly face the LDS church puts on their religion can't mask the underlying sexual inequality, the FLDS wack jobs seem to revel in it.

Okay, /rant. Was raised by a woman writing her dissertation on gender issues in Mormonism. I am, in fact, my mother's daughter.

*Not that my ultimate plan isn't to set up a personality cult dedicated to me... But that's different. For reasons that will come to me.

[blackbyrd2.livejournal.com]

I don't know that I really need to state my perceptions here, since you could probably deduce them, but yeah; Polyamory is a relationship between three or more people, and the individual sex of each person is not germaine to the definition of the term.
For a poly relationship to work, you need to have mature, emotionally stable people involved, capable of communicating and understanding how other people feel. Apparently you don't, in a monogamous relationship. You just need one person to be able to dominate the other. That kind of crap won't fly in a poly relationship, and thus, in my mind, anyways, poly is a superior form.
Me? I'm nowhere near stable or mature enough for a poly relationship, even though I've thought they were the way to go since high school, reading Heinlein, but then, I'm no good for a monogamous one either. I'm just fortunate to have found someone who understands my issues and accepts me for what I am.

The concept that multiple wives is the path to eternal salvation just makes me think that perhaps here is yet another case of men using religion to get whatever they think they want. Yeah, God says it's ok..er..important for me to have lots of wives without recognizing them or even actually supporting them, but women can't have multiple men, cuz that's... er.. sinful. Yeah. It's in the gospel, which I pulled out of this hat.

I don't know if I'm more disgusted with men who use religion that way, or the women who embrace this crap.