Couple Privilege
Amatonormativity “… the assumption that a central, exclusive, amorous relationship is normal for humans, in that it is a universally shared goal, and that such a relationship is normative, in the sense that it should be aimed at in preference to other relationship types”. 1. Academic review of Prof. Elizabeth Brake’s book, Minimizing marriage: Marriage, morality, and the law. 2. Blog entry by Bella DePaulo, Ph.D. (author of Living Single): Should marriage be abolished, minimized, or left alone? A philosopher explains the moral value of all caring relationships. Aggie Sez: Couple privilege: Having it doesn’t necessarily make you an asshole (But it might) “It’s not inherently abusive to choose to enshrine aspects of couple privilege in how you conduct relationships — as long as the primary partners are making those decisions strictly as their own criteria and not presuming to impose the conditions nonconsensually after the fact. Other partners may choose to abide by their strictures, or not. And many non-primary partners choose to roll with restrictions and limitations in order to prioritize or protect primary relationships. Often they do so quite cheerfully, and everyone’s happy. But, ask the kinky people you know: When someone is routinely expected to accommodate, sacrifice, or come last — that’s a power dynamic. And presumed, unconscious, or nonconsensual power dynamics tend to be very bad news indeed.” Angelus Morningstar: The dynamics of polyamory and couple privilege “… in accepting that the dichotomy must be hierarchy-anarchy, one makes the presumption that all non-anarchisticRead more