Why polygamy should be legal

These people instead commonly exist as outsiders in the land of the free, short of their constitutional rights and autonomy. The prohibition of polygamy is not only more dangerous to women and children because it pushes entire communities underground , but it is also inconsistent with the efforts of the United States to pursue tolerance and equal protection under the law.

Despite the renouncement of the practice as a condition to its statehood, Utah remains home to many polygamists. As such, it should legalize polygamy, or, at a minimum, reduce the current penalties.

We have given the legal thumbs-up for same-sex couples to wed, and the logic that affirmed that decision should extend to marriages of more than two individuals.

The argument for limiting the number of folks who can be married at one instance is weak and reminiscent of the claims that were once used by opponents of same-sex marriage. If consenting adults deserve autonomy and dignity, then polygamy should be legalized. Beyond the constitutional grounds of due process and equal protection, polygamy must be legalized if safety for women and children is at all an objective. Ignoring folks in isolated communities in Western states and the foothills of Mexico because of the illegality of polygamy is dangerous for people and counteractive to efforts to empower women.

Criminalizing the practice only prevents people from reporting abuses experienced and witnessed. Life in the shadows discourages many from seeking the assistance and the resources that should be obligatory for injury and mistreatment. The more polygamist families are incorporated into mainstream society, the safer it will be for everyone involved. This would be a significant new option for many of them.

Therefore, webbed marriage, if properly fleshed out by local policymakers for their own contexts, could provide an unproblematic form of marriage that is ideal for polygamists, and deserves serious consideration for legalisation in current liberal democracies. For more information on the upcoming Conference see here. Hassouneh-Phillips, D.

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Peter Wilson In July this year, three Colombians were hailed as having the first legal union between three men in the world Taylor-Coleman, Polygamy as currently practised When most people think of polygamy they do not think of the case of the three Colombian men.

When you think of marriage, you most likely think of a union between two partners. However, there are other types of marriages like polygamy. Polygamy is a type of relationship that typically involves a person marrying more than one partner. Polygamy is the opposite of monogamy , where one person marries one spouse. Polygamy is either illegal or discouraged in most regions. However, bigamy is.

This article discusses the history of polygamy, the types of polygamy, and how people practice it. It also discusses the impact and pitfalls of this kind of relationship arrangement. Interestingly, monogamy is a relatively recent concept in human history. Before the formation of urban communities we recognize today, people were primarily polygamous. While polygamy has a somewhat checkered history in recent times, many people voluntarily opted for a polygamous relationship instead of a monogamous relationship centuries ago.

These days polygamy is frowned upon in many societies and has been outrightly banned in most countries. There are generally three forms of polygamy: polygyny, polyandry, and group marriage. Polygyny is the specific form of polygamy where a man marries multiple wives.

Polyandry is a less common form of polygamy. With polyandry, you find a woman marrying multiple men. Group marriage, as the term implies, is when several men and women marry each other. This is a rarer form of polygamy. While some people might consider the above as types of polygamy, others might recognize them as concepts of their own.

And in some instances, the terms are used interchangeably. Since polygamy is illegal in many countries, people who wish to practice polygamy opt-out of getting married in a traditional setting and choose a casual arrangement.

Polygamy is often confused with polyamory, which is a more acceptable and legal way to be in a relationship with multiple partners in the world today.

Polyamory is a type of relationship where a person has multiple partners but no one is married to each other. All partners typically know of each other and are aware that they are in a polyamorous relationship. For a healthy polyamorous relationship to work, all partners need to be open and honest with each other. In parts of the Middle East and Asia, polygamy is legal.

Regions in West Africa that are predominantly Muslim embrace polygamy. Polygyny, the practice of taking more than one wife at the same time is a common practice in several countries including Africa.

This study, conducted in Ghana, West Africa, investigated married women's experiences in polygyny and their ways of coping. Methods: Using exploratory qualitative methodology, data were collected from 15 married women who consented to in-depth interviews.

The study was conducted in the summer of with approval from an institutional review board and permission from community leaders from the study site.