Polygamy: It’s Not What You Think!

Polygamy includes both polygny (1 husband + multiple wives) and polyandry (1 wife + multiple husbands).  Both of these, and more, would be included if the Browns are successful in their crusade to legalize polygamy.  Here are some examples:

·      Charlie is married to Chelsea, and Mia and Rose (polygny);

·      Judith is married to Alan, and Herb and Charlie  (polyandry, or “Brother Husbands”);

·      Charlie is married to Chelsea and Mia.  Mia is also married to Lyndsey;

·      Charlie is married to Chelsea and Lyndsey and Alan.  Alan is married to Lyndsey and Charlie, but not to  Chelsea; 

·      Charlie is married to Chelsea and Lyndsey.  Alan is married to Lyndsey and also to Herb and Judith;

·      Group Marriage – multi-lateral marriage where all members of the marriage are considered to be married to all other members.  Group marriage is said to have existed in the past among the Sandwich Islanders, in Melanesia, among the Omahas, and among some Australian aborigines;

·      “Line Marriage” – a type of group marriage where the family unit continues to add spouses of both / alternating genders over time so that the marriage never ends.  This concept currently only exists in science fiction, including “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress”; the “Starfarers” series; the novel “Worlds”; the “Heritage”, “Legacy” and “Inheritance” Trilogies; and the now-cancelled TV series “Caprica”;

·      Any other combination you can think of.

Some of the science fiction writing describes group marriages, specifically line marriages, having as a major goal avoiding inheritance and property rights issues by always having a living spouse.  However, wherever you have humans, you have human nature and human problems.  Issues of divorce and support payments, child custody and access cannot be avoided, only complicated, by these more complex relationships.

Is this the polygamy you thought you knew?

Written by TERRASOLA

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