A few years ago, the best way to trigger an advocate for redefining marriage to include same-sex couples would be to note that once the gender of those involved in the marriage became arbitrary, there really was no reason, strictly speaking, that the number of partners involved should be limited, either. This logical argument—that once you redefine one characteristic of an institution, there is no reason you can’t redefine others, too—was extremely inconvenient for the activists who recognized that they needed to move the Overton Window slowly enough that nobody would get too alarmed. It is always important not to boil the frog too fast.
And so those who noted that polygamy could be coming down the pipe as other unorthodox romantic arrangements demanded government recognition (and the accompanying benefits) were met with outrage and accusations of being smear merchants, bigots, or promiscuous employers of the slippery slope fallacy. It was ludicrous to claim that those who wished to redefine an institution that was thousands of years old would not stop with one radical change, they said, and anyone who said otherwise was simply a raging homophobe.
One thought on “A Republican in Utah has put forward a bill to decriminalize polygamy–and it just got unanimous consent from a key senate committee”
Sam says:
Alright, this is an outright misrepresentation of the facts.
According to recent reporting, the Utah State Legislature is made up of 87.5% Mormons, with an incredibly heavy representation of the Republican Party (79% in the Senate and 78% in the House of Representatives).
You may not be surprised to learn that Utah supported Proposition 8, which attempted to halt the legalization of same sex marriage. However, Utah, not liberal California or some such other sexual revolution state is attempting to legalize polygamy. Why?
I highly doubt the wave of sexual revolution has crashed over Utah, especially with the ruby red representation in their government and Utah’s support of Proposition 8.
I suggest that it might have to do with the history of polygamy in the Mormon faith.
So, what we have here is not a continuation of a sexual revolution, which you are trying to shoehorn this into, but a religion attempting to allow its preferences. This is not a culture war, this is a religious battle.
Alright, this is an outright misrepresentation of the facts.
According to recent reporting, the Utah State Legislature is made up of 87.5% Mormons, with an incredibly heavy representation of the Republican Party (79% in the Senate and 78% in the House of Representatives).
https://apnews.com/286983987f484cb182fba9334c52a617
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_State_Senate
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_House_of_Representatives
You may not be surprised to learn that Utah supported Proposition 8, which attempted to halt the legalization of same sex marriage. However, Utah, not liberal California or some such other sexual revolution state is attempting to legalize polygamy. Why?
I highly doubt the wave of sexual revolution has crashed over Utah, especially with the ruby red representation in their government and Utah’s support of Proposition 8.
I suggest that it might have to do with the history of polygamy in the Mormon faith.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormonism_and_polygamy
So, what we have here is not a continuation of a sexual revolution, which you are trying to shoehorn this into, but a religion attempting to allow its preferences. This is not a culture war, this is a religious battle.