Poly Presentation March 21, Washington Area Secular Humanists, Tyson's Corner, VA

I'm looking forward to talking polyamory with the Washington Area Secular Humanists on March 21, 2010 at from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. at the Tyson's-Pimmitt Public Library. Hope you can join us! Here are the details of the program, which will especially focus on the ethics of polyamory and using rational thinking in evaluating polyamory as a personal path. - Anita

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Topic: “Polyamory - America's Next Romantic Revolution?”

Description: Suppose we hear about a closeted gay man who, because of societal pressure to fit in and abide by tradition, marries a woman who is not aware he is gay. Most of us would say that this is sad because such people have few to no ethical alternatives to traditional marriage, depending on whether gay marriage is legal in their state.

Consider the case of Tiger Woods and his extra-marital affairs. Not as many of us would think this to be a sad case because he certainly has ethical alternatives. The obvious alternative would be to abide by the monogamous commitment he made when he and his wife, Elin, married. Less obvious but equally ethical, if both agreed to it, would be the practice of polyamory, also known to some as responsible non-monogamy. Some may and do argue against such arrangements as both irresponsible and unethical, but this is because they lack a compassionate and informed understanding of this alternative to traditional monogamy.

* What is polyamory?
* How does it work?
* What are the pitfalls?
* How do people deal with jealousy?
* What is compersion?
* What are the ethics of polyamory?
* What are the legal issues?
* What are the outcomes for children?
* What does science have to say about how monogamous or polyamorous we are as a species?
* What are the most common misunderstandings about polyamory?

Presenter Anita Wagner regularly speaks to groups where she answers these and other questions for the polyamory community. She is a highly-regarded community leader, organizer, advocate and media spokesperson and is the author of the very popular Practical Polyamory blog. Both her blog and website (practicalpolyamory dot com) are considered among the best internet resources available on the subject of polyamory.

WHERE: Tyson-Pimmit Library, 7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22043

Directions: We will be in the meeting room of the Tysons-Pimmit library from 2 - 4 PM. It is 1.3 miles from the West Falls Church Metro on the Orange Line... so if you feel up to it, it is feasible to walk. There's also a bus. Driving directions and information on public transportation is available here. Parking is free.