Make Love, Now Law: Perceptions of the Marriage Equality Struggle Among Polyamorous Activists

Abstract

SUMMARY The paper examines marriage equality through the eyes of the polyamorous community. "Polyamory" is the practice of romantic relationships with more than one person, simultaneously, with the knowledge and consent of all parties. The Bay Area polyamorous community, albeit closely sympathetic to GLBT politics and particularly to bisexual activism, has not, so far, mobilized in a struggle for group marriage or other public status. Based on in-depth interviews with 35 community activists, the paper analyzes the main issues which make them reluctant to mobilize: their alternatives to material marriage rights, their concerns regarding political alliances and strategies, and–most importantly–their mistrust of law as a tool for shaping identities and designing interpersonal relationships.