Father’s Day - Sunday, June 16

Sunday, June 16 is Father's Day.

For all men raising or helping (or who have helped) to raise a child, whether you are a biological father, presumed father, grandfather, stepfather, bonus father, adoptive father, foster father or any variation… we wish you a Happy Father’s Day!

A special thanks to fathers who have supported and loved their children who are LGBTQ+, polyamorous, consanguinamorous, or have otherwise faced persecution or oppression because of who they are or the person(s) they love. And you fathers who ARE LGBTQ+, polyamorous, or consanguinamorous, we see you, too.

We offer a note of encouragement to all fathers who can’t legally marry the person(s) they love, but would if they could, or who face bullying due to love or who they are: We will win so that every adult can pursue love, sex, and marriage with any consenting adults.

If you have a good father in your life, are you planning anything special for Father's Day?

Some considerations if you have, or are considering, a more physical relationship with your father...

Two Women Who Are Still Denied a Wedding

We have another exclusive interview to bring you. 

People in consanguinamorous relationships are everywhere, though consanguinamorists tend to be closeted. Fortunately, some are willing to be interviewed for this blog. As a result, Full Marriage Equality has featured scores of exclusive interviews with lovers denied the freedom to marry and have that marriage treated equally under the law. Most can’t even be out of the closet or they’ll face persecution and prosecution under absurd incest laws, which, instead of focusing on abuse, also target consensual relationships.

The women interviewed below should be free to legally and publicly marry each other, or simply be together without having to hide, yet they can’t. Prejudice can be deadly. They are consenting adults; why should they have been denied their rights? In much of the world, they could be criminally prosecuted for loving each other this way, and might be persecuted severely in addition.

Read the interview below and see for yourself what they have to say about the love they share. You may think this relationship is interesting, or it might make you uncomfortable, or you might find it ideal, even highly erotic, but whatever your reaction, should lovers like these be denied equal access to marriage or any other rights simply because they love each other this way?

Also please note that someone you love, respect, and admire could be in a similar relationship right now. Should they be attacked and denied rights because of the "incest" label? 

NOTE: This interview has a brief amount of sexually explicit description.

*****

FULL MARRIAGE EQUALITY: Describe yourselves. 

Anna: I'm Anna. I was born in 1990 in Klagenfurt am Wörthersee in the Austrian state of Carinthia with my twin sister. We are the only two children of our parents, who are both entrepreneurs.

Cautious Consanguinamory

So, someone you already love wants to love you more, and you want to love them more; you’re mutually attracted. And you’ve considered the pros and cons and have decided to go for it. You want to add sexual affection to your relationship.

But you feel a need to go slowly.

You could be nervous and very cautious because it is new, because such experiences are an unknown to you, or because you’ve internalized cultural prejudices. 

How do you move forward with care?

Polyamory Pride Day - Tuesday, June 11

Polyamory Pride Day is Tuesday, June 11.

Polyamory is getting more and more visibility, and that's wonderful.

Polyamory is expressed many ways, but it is a category of ethical, disclosed, or consensual non-monogamy. 

During Pride Month, we recognize Polyamory Pride Day to continue to raise awareness, let people know they have options when it comes to relationships, and that polyamory or being polyamorous isn't something of which to be ashamed.

Sadly, so many polyamorous people have to hide who they are due to ongoing prejudices and discrimination. You probably know polyamorous people, whether you know it or not. Polyamorous people are your neighbors and service providers.

Some people identify as polyamorous whether or not they are in a relationship, or only with one partner right now.

There is no good reason someone of any sexual orientation or gender shouldn't be free to share love, sex, kink, residence, or marriage (or unions or partnerships) with any and all consenting adults.

Are you celebrating?

As always, you’re wclome ro comment below, including anonymously.

Pride Month Is Here!

June is Pride Month. 

Like so many other observances, it has become commercialized in a lot of ways. As far as I'm concerned, I'd rather corporations call positive attention to it rather than how things were in the old days, when LGBTQ+ people were invisible or portrayed as predators.

We should also keep in mind that there are LGBTQ+ people who are monogamous, and also those who are polyamorous or otherwise involved in consensual, ethical, or disclosed nonmonogamy. There are also LGBTQ+ people who are consangunamorous or have consanguineous relationships. All these people should have their rights.

Let's celebrate gender, sexuality, and relationship diversities. May allies join in, and may there be solidarity for all!

Let's make it a great month!

Are you going to any events?

Reminder: Why We Use the Term Consanguinamory

TW/CW

Monday is Memorial Day in the US

Monday, May 27 is a day that fallen military personnel are honored and remembered.

Some of our fallen were LGBTQ+, some were polyamorous. Some were consanguinamorous. Until somewhat recently, none of them could be open about who they were or who they loved without dire consequences; only some of our LGBTQ+ military personnel have been able to come out thanks to the end of DADT and the implementation of some protections. Polyamorous and consanguinamorous people still have to hide and are denied their rights.

Some were drafted and had no choice but to serve.

Yet along with the rest of their military brothers and sisters, they fought and struggled and suffered.

So please let freedom ring.

Someone should be able to serve honorably and without being ordered to act unjustly, no matter their gender identity, sexual orientation or their relationships with consenting adults. And they should be able to have their marriages registered with their states, and certainly not be punished for their relationships.

Pan Visibility Day - Friday, May 24

May 24 is Pansexual and Panromantic Awareness and Visibility Day. 

Pansexual people are sexually attracted to people regardless of gender or of any gender.

Panromantic people are romantically attracted to people regardless of gender or of any gender.

This is true even if they are currently monogamous, or in a relationship with one person (or not in a relationship at all).

Pansexual and panromantic people are part of LGBTQ+ and often face discrimination for their gender, sexuality, and relationship diversities. Pansexual and/or panromantic people, regardless of gender, should be as free as anyone to live their lives free of harassment, prejudice, bigotry, and bullying.

Are you pansexual and/or panromantic? Do you think you might be? You are certainly not alone! Some highly accomplished people have come out pansexual and/or panromantic. As always, feel free to comment below (you can do so anonymously, if you'd like), or if you'd rather communicate privately, contact Keith. 

Taking the Steps

I have frequently seen the question asked, “It is incest to date my stepbrother?” or “Would marrying my stepsister be incestuous?”

Romance, dating, sex, or marriage between step relations is not literally consanguinamory, but is often subject to the same prejudices, which in some places and cases includes criminalization, as consanguinamorous relationships. With Discredited Argument #18 not a factor, the excuse to try to deny others their relationships is usually Discredited Arguments #1, 3, 19, or 21.

Although someone may try to control our relationships, we can’t effectively control what other people do with their love lives and we shouldn’t try. We don’t pick who our family members love or marry. As such, sometimes someone is brought into our lives as a step relation, such as a stepbrother, stepsister, stepmother, or stepfather whether we like it or not.

Sometimes, we like it. A lot.

Agender Pride Day - Sunday May 19

Sunday, May 19 is Agender Pride Day.

In addition to celebrating people who identify as agender, the day also brings attention to all of the prejudice, bigotry, and discrimination that agender people endure, like so many others with gender, sexuality, and relationship diversities.

Agender people often identify as having no gender, although some consider their gender to be neutral. Agender may also be referred to as genderfree, genderblank, genderless, gendervoid, non-gendered, ungendered, or null gender. Agender people may be considered nonbinary. 

Like anyone else, agender people should be free to live their lives without fear of harassment or bullying.

Does Swapping or Swinging Ruin Marriage?

If a marriage is already doomed, involving other people will not save it. If it is troubled, involving other people can help it depending on what the troubles are. Involving other people in it by cheating can definitely ruin it. But ethical nonmonogamy is not cheating. If a marriage is solid and stable, ethical nonmonogamy has the possibility to make it even better. It isn't for everyone, or all relationships, but is for some.

Swinging and swapping, which both forms of ethical nonmonogamy, are not the same thing. Swinging generally means that people in an established relationship get together at parties or events with multiple other couples, triads, etc. and individuals for the specific purpose of having sex, usually sex that is no-strings-attached. That sex may include many different people. Swapping usually means a couple gets together with another couple or two and they switch partners. It could be a one-time thing or an ongoing thing or something between that, and it could happen in the same room or isolated from each other.

A great answer to the question raised in the title of this entry was provided on Quora by Franklin Veaux...

Studies conducted of people in the swing community generally show that swingers have higher than baseline levels of marital happiness. 

Swingers: Mentally Healthier Than Monogamous Peers…when it comes to attitudes about sex and marriage they [swingers] are less racist, less sexist, and less heterosexist than the general population. Swinging appears to make the vast majority of swingers' marriages happier, and swingers rate the happiness of their marriages and life satisfaction generally as higher than the non-swinging population. Implications of the study and its limitations are also included. 

The Case of Swingers. EJHS 2000New Study Shows Swingers are More Likely to Stay MarriedStudy: Investigation of Consensually Nonmonogamous Relationships: Theories, Methods, and New Directions

The Intersection of Polyamory and Consanguinamory

Relationships don't have to be A) monogamous and B) with someone who isn't closely related.

Once one of those is realized, it is easier to realize the other.

Yes, some people do better and genuinely prefer monogamy with someone who isn't a close relative. And good for them.

But human sexuality and relationships are diverse.

Once you set aside the arbitrary constraints on sexuality and relationships, you might discover things about yourself would never have considered otherwise. Once you realize that one constraints is arbitrary, pointless, or doesn't suit you, you're more likely to question other constraints.