Episode 235: The Surprising Politics of Polyamory

Polyamorists tend to be stereotyped and portrayed in the popular media as pretty liberal bunch. However, it turns out that they’re actually quite diverse in their political views. This isn’t surprising when you start to trace the history of the modern polyamory movement in America, because what we see is that it actually has strong libertarian roots. In today’s show, we’re going to explore the fascinating (and surprising) intersection between polyamory and politics, including how libertarian science fiction writers in the 1960s helped turbocharge interest in polyamory.

I am joined once again by Christopher Gleason, who lectures at Kennesaw State University and is the Director of Academic Programs at the Georgia Coalition for Higher Education in Prisons. He lives in Atlanta and his latest book is titled American Poly: A History.

Some of the topics we explore include:

• Who was Robert Heinlein, and what impact did his sci-fi book Stranger in a Strange Land have on American polyamory?
• Ayn Rand is an author known for shaping right-wing thought, but her work was influential to polyamorists during the sexual revolution. What’s the story there?
• How did a return to sexual conservatism in the 1980s lead to an organized polyamory movement?
• Why is there a heated debate in the poly community about whether polyamory is about sex versus connection and spirituality?
• Are individuals on the political left more likely to embrace polyamory as an identity than those with other political views?

To stay connected, you can find Christopher on Instagram @christophermgleason

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