Not only are school years a time for intense personal discovery and growth, but they are usually a time of intense pressures, including the pressure to conform, and bullying. Some students have a life outside of school that can be downright hellish, and even a not-so-great school environment can be better than where they live.
For those reasons, affirming clubs are critical. Over the years there have been various names for them, such as Gay-Straight Alliances, or Gender and Sexuality Associations, or Diversity clubs, among others. Any club or program that supports gender, sexuality, and relationship diversities in students and their families can be of help. Equity, inclusion, and belonging make a positive difference.
If your school doesn't have such an organization, consider starting one. See here. As a new school year gets underway, don't let your school be without such an organization!
If you school already has one, consider joining and/or supporting it. Student, faculty, and parental support are all needed.
If the administration of your school will not formally sanction such a club, create a club anyway.
Whether starting or joining, please do what you can to make the organization welcoming, inclusive, accepting, and affirming of all whose identity, sexual orientation, relationship orientation, or existing relationship (or that of their parents) makes them a target for discrimination or bullying.
Whether starting or joining, please do what you can to make the organization welcoming, inclusive, accepting, and affirming of all whose identity, sexual orientation, relationship orientation, or existing relationship (or that of their parents) makes them a target for discrimination or bullying.
![Non-Monogamy Diagram [I:FV]](http://www.obsidianfields.com/lj/nonmonogamy2.5.1.gif){kind=link}
most schools don't create consanguinamory or polyamory clubs.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting topic. Those lucky enough to find themselves in polyamorous relationships probably have to keep a low profile while living in places where polyamory is not the accepted standard. Muslims may wish to keep their countries free from the sexual restrictions of Christian countries: The sultans had dozens of wives (only four of which were legitimate according to Muslim law) and hundred of concubines. Blonde women from the Caucasus were highly prized for their beauty and the sultan often traded many good horses to get his hands on one." Of course, everything was consensual, and if the women didn't like it, they were free to leave. Someone wrote "I thought they convicted that Morman who was in the news not long ago of polygamy, even though he claimed he was not legally married to more than one woman, because the state of Utah claimed the women were his common law wives. In short, if multiple women live in your household whom you sleep with and have children by, you’re going to have trouble with the law." Polyamorous gays and lesbians with children could be targeted this way too. I think most men are probably inclined to polygamy at some stage, but likely find it more convenient to conform to the state prescribed orthodoxy of monogamy sooner or later. But since the state can't very well regulate a policy of "anything goes" (i.e. must keep the laws it has inherited) and it can't stop people being bigots or discriminating against people, so polyamorists and other sexual minorities have to be discreet and not get caught. The LBGTs already have their inclusive and tolerant football, baseball, and music clubs at schools, they just don't call them LBGT clubs.
ReplyDeleteInteresting thoughts, but you didn't mention the possibility of polyandry, which was practiced (and is probably still practiced) by some tribes in remote corners of the planet.
DeleteAnd why not? A woman should be fully equal to a man in social, economic and legal aspects. I believe that women who openly, voluntarily and consciously engage in sexual relations with several men living under the same roof and have children with several fathers should be welcomed and supported in every possible way.
Very correct and relevant thoughts and suggestions.
ReplyDeleteAny action to support tolerance for sexual diversity and respect for human rights to sexual identity and choice of sexual partner(s) is urgently needed even in a democratically developed country like the US, not to mention other countries.
Unfortunately, we have to overcome misunderstandings, hostility, bigotry, and harassment under the law not only at the "official" level, but also at the domestic level. And it is at home, among relatives, neighbors and acquaintances, that people of "non-traditional" sexual orientation experience the greatest moral and even physical persecution.
Affirming Clubs is a good tool for supporting like-minded people, but it is also a school of genuine civic consciousness and democracy.
Unfortunately, for obvious reasons, such clubs are not yet possible to support consanguinamory. For better or worse, our society, although gritting its teeth, is gradually getting used to polyamory, transgender people, and same-sex marriage. But the vast majority of people see consanguinamory (which is branded with the Cain seal "incest") as a universal evil, a mortal sin and a criminal or religious crime. It is children, teenagers, young men and women who have fallen in love with their relatives are the most vulnerable and suffer the most.
They do not know how to behave towards their loved ones, they do not know how to express their feelings, because under the influence of family, school, literature and the mass media, they are initially convinced that this is "wrong" and "bad", that it is always violence, that it is exclusively lust and sex, and children born as a result of "incest" are always disabled and mentally handicapped.
Alas, not only will no school allow the creation of an Affirming Club to support students who are or intend to enter into a voluntary sexual and romantic relationship with relatives, but even the students themselves will not think of it. Because they feel shame not only towards others, but also towards themselves.
We have to admit that now there is no way to openly create any formal or informal public association of any scale in support of consanguinamory. Thank God that there are people who create online resources for us, our allies and supporters, such as "Full Marriage Equality". These are drops in the sea, but the drops sharpen the stone...