Visibility Matters

Despite consanguineous relationships happening everywhere, and despite being in many classic stories, positive visibility for consanguinamorists is too rare these days.

There has been a steady stream of consanguinamorists making news, with the stories going viral, for years now. Most of these relationships have been initiated with Genetic Sexual Attraction. How many of these have to go viral before people figure out that GSA is real and that these relationships are not so rare?

Unfortunately, since most consanguinamorists stay at least partially closeted, most of these news reports are about unjust prosecutions. Professional columnists and comment trolls alike pile on to lovers, who have done nothing wrong and haven't hurt anyone, with everything from finger-wagging to wishing them death.

So many people want to control the love lives of other people, and if they can't control them, these hateful bigots and their unthinking accomplices want them to have to hide. Anything that doesn't fit into their narrow plans has to be destroyed.

The headlines tantalize. They're eye catching, not just because some people have some sad need to hate on others, but also in part because more people are interested in these realtionships, or even in being in one, than are willing to admit it.

There are literally tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions, of people on this planet in these relationships or who have been. But it's going to be the people criminally prosecuted who make news, usually. For every relationship dragged into court on criminal charges, there are thousands that aren't, because people live where it isn't illegal, or don't out themselves or aren't outed by others to law enforcement, prosecutors decide not to pursue a case because of lack of evidence or because it's ridiculous to prosecuted consenting adults for loving each other, or the lovers are connected, powerful, or wealthy enough to successfully pressure authorities to back off. Anyone who thinks these relationships are limited to poverty-stricken dropouts is ignorant of reality, and chances are, some famous or successful people they admire have been in one.

Positive or neutral visibility matters. People need to know they're not alone, and those around them need to know this isn't a problem. The world will not end because people love each other. More fiction and nonfiction portrayals are needed. Nonfiction is still very difficult to produce, given the outrageous hatred still directed at these lovers. Protecting their identities might not make for ideal narratives, but it's usually going to be necessary in order to get their participation.

Consaguinamory is not something of which to be ashamed or to be kept out of our media, It's the haters who should be ashamed and who should be exposed as prejudiced and unreasonable.