It’s Time To Legalize Polygamy By Fredrik Deboer

It’s Time To Legalize Polygamy By
Fredrik Deboer
Why group marriage is the next horizon of
social liberalism.
Many argue that polygamous marriages are typically sites
of abuse, inequality in power and coercion. Some refer to
sociological research showing a host of ills that are
associated with polygamous family structures. These
claims are both true and beside the point. Yes, it’s true that
many polygamous marriages come from patriarchal
systems, typically employing a “hub and spokes” model
where one husband has several wives who are not married
to each other. These marriages are often of the husband-
as-boss variety, and we have good reason to suspect that
such models have higher rates of abuse, both physical and
emotional, and coercion. But this is a classic case of
blaming a social problem on its trappings rather than on its
actual origins.
After all, traditional marriages often foster abuse.
Traditional marriages are frequently patriarchal. Traditional
marriages often feature ugly gender and power dynamics.
Indeed, many would argue that marriage’s origins stem
from a desire to formalize patriarchal structures within the
family in the first place. We’ve pursued marriage equality at
the same time as we’ve pursued more equitable, more
feminist heterosexual marriages, out of a conviction that
the franchise is worth improving, worth saving.

SOURCE: FREDRIK DEBOER