Citation

Noël MJ. Sexualities 2006; 9(5): 602-620.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1363460706070003

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Polyamory has the potential to revolutionize how people in the USA engage in and think about relationships and families at the beginning of the 21st century. However, as indicated through content analysis of 12 texts published between 1992 and 2004, polyamorists fail to meaningfully acknowledge or collaborate with others with shared interests to advocate common goals. In particular, these texts, written by and geared toward an assumed audience of white, middle-class, able-bodied, educated, American people fail to address how nationality, race, class, age and (dis)ability intersect with gender and sexuality in the theory and practice of polyamory. In order to successfully challenge systemic, intersecting oppressions, polyamorists must move beyond the limits of identity politics to build coalitions and norms of inclusivity around shared issues, such as expanding definitions of relationships, families and communities.