General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Gay people can have multipartner relationships too. [View all]geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)In reality, there's a MASSIVE difference between same-sex marriage and polygamy.
Same-sex couples wanted to participate in the institution of monogamous marriage. Polygamy advocates--assuming they actually exist--want to destroy the institution of monogamous marriage by rewriting the rules for everyone.
Same-sex marriage doesn't require any changes to the legal structure, not a single law has to change in its operation, the institution itself is exactly the same. Every heterosexual marriage remains unchanged.
The only change is that a category of couples is no longer excluded from monogamous marriage. Just like interracial couples were no longer excluded from monogamous marriage.
It is MUCH different to argue that the institution of marriage itself needs to be radically overhauled.
That is what would be required to convert from a monogamous marriage system to a polygamous one.
That would change the rules for everyone. That would change the legal status for every existing heterosexual, and homosexual marriage. It would require drastic rewrites of many, many areas of law.
The question is whether we impose that kind of change on the rest of society in order to cater to a vanishingly small group of people who aren't even particularly motivated to seek it.
Duh, of course not.
This is a troll issue for libertarians to wank about.