Re: [UUPoly-L] Poly reality

["Kelly Cookson" <kc62301@hotmail.com>]

> On May 23, 2007, at 4:42 PM, wabaldwin@aol.com wrote:

> ...I support the desire of Utah Mormons (or anyone!) to plural
> marriage...
>
> ...but if someone forces a person against their will to marry them...
>
> ...or if they marry someone who is under-age...
>
> ...I would not support those specific cases.

Traditional polygamy has a worldwide reputation of being bad for women. Many 
women's rights movements in nations that allow polygamy are working to make 
social monogamy the only legal form of marriage. The United Nations joined 
the effort to eliminate polygamy in 1979 when the General Assembly adopted 
the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against 
Women. This is an international bill of rights for women that over 180 
nations have agreed to implement. Article 16 of the Convention requires 
nations to give women and men equal rights in marriage. Polygamy is 
interpreted as inconsistent with Article 16 because it extends the right of 
multiple spouses to men but not to women. The United Nations has established 
the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, or CEDAW, 
to monitor the progress of nations implementing the Convention. The United 
Nations is thus working through the Convention and CEDAW to promote women's 
equality by making social monogamy the only legal form of marriage 
worldwide.

Africa continues to have many subsaharan nations that allow polygamy. Yet, 
even Africa is starting to move toward a recognition of social monogamy as 
being better for women than traditional polygamy. The African Union has 
adopted the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa. While the protocol 
does not suggest making polygamous marriage illegal, article 6 of the 
protocol states that "monogamy is encouraged as the preferred form of 
marriage and that the rights of women in marriage and family, including in 
polygamous marital relationships are promoted and protected." The protocol 
entered into force November 25, 2005.

Here in the United States, you will never be able to legalize group marriage 
for polyamorists without also legalizing polygamy for traditional sexist 
men. It's not the group marriages among polyamorists that I worry about. 
It's the sexist religions and sexist men at large that I worry about. We've 
already seen these groups will practice forms of polygamy that are bad for 
women. They will continue to do so even if polyamorists strongly object and 
form their own community to show everyone a better way. Imagine when guys in 
the Hells Angels realize it's legal for them to have more than one wife. And 
the guy who batters his wife--now he can have two wives to control and abuse 
and get to lie so he is off the hook. Then there's the trucker who decides 
to set up two families and not mention the one family to the other (until 
they accidentally figure it out) and now it's legal.

We haven't even mentioned the changes needed to marriage laws, family laws, 
divorce laws, insurance regulation laws, employment benefit laws, and so 
forth in order to accomodate multi-partner marriage.

Anyone who is serious about the legalization of multi-partner marriage needs 
to create a whole package of legislative bills aimed at preventing abuses, 
setting penalities when abuses occur, and changing various family and 
business laws to accomodate the new marriage structure. Until I see 
something serious on the table...a real package of bills to deal with abuses 
and to accomodate the new marriage structure...I find it hard to be serious 
about the legalization of multi-partner marriage.

Your friendly neighborhood devil's advocate,
Kelly

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