One Way to Help Things Change

One way to help bring about full marriage equality and related rights is through involvement and organization. Sex Positive St. Louis is an example. It started a little over a year ago.

Chris and his wife have lived in Maryland Heights for the past six years—they moved to the suburb the same month they wed.

He and his wife have been polyamorous for three years.

Chris met Holliday through a mutual friend about a year and a year-and-a-half ago, he said. He got involved with the group by going to Sex Positive’s happy hours. Sex Positive lets people explore their sexuality, he said. The people involved with Sex Positive don’t pass judgment, and Chris has made a lot of good friends in the group.

But despite that positive attitude within Sex Positive, some suburbanites are hesitant to join the lifestyle.

Socializing assists organization. If nothing else, it provides emotional support. Involvement can be tricky due to ongoing discrimination, which is one big reason some people have those hesitations.

Sex Positive uses new media to reach out to St. Louis. It has a Facebook page and Twitter account. Holliday said the group's Facebook page has been invaluable for posting events.

Once the events are posted, they leak around the Internet, she said.

Sex Positive also has a traditional website. The website is updated regularly and includes interviews, event updates and blog-type posts.

Holliday said the best way to get involved with Sex Positive is to look at the calendar and attend events.

She suggests those interested show up ready to have their lives changed.

One need not be polyamorous to support the rights of poly people, of course, and even if someone doesn’t want to engage in polyamory, it might be enlightening to meet up with those who are, in a setting in which they aren’t hiding the fact that they are. Polyamorous people also tend to be supportive of other adults in “forbidden” relationships or facing difficulties due to sexual orientation.