#polygamy

[PT: "Gay marriage has been legalized, marriage rights don't need to be fought for anymore." /End PT]

1- This is such an narrow-minded ass thing to say. Please learn about other countries and their rights.

[ID: A world map, marking in green where gay marriage is legalized. The only places marked green on the map are Canada, the US, Mexico, Cuba, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecudor, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Denmark, Netherlands, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, France, Portugal, Spain, Andorra, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Slovenia, Greece, Malta, Liechtenstein, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Nepal, Thailand, and Taiwan. Some of South America, nearly all of Asia & the Middle East, nearly all of Africa, and all of the Oceania [aside from Australia & New Zealand] are marked white, meaning gay marriage is illegal. The text on the image says "Same-sex marriage is legal in nearly 40 places around the world. Note: Current to June 2, 2025. Source: Pew Research Center analysis of government sources and international news articles. /End ID.]

2- What about polyamorous marriage (polygamy)? Have you seen the map of where that is legalized? Polyamorous marriage has not been fought for in the slightest.

Below is a map of all the places that have polygamy legalized.

Black = illegal.

Orange = illegal, but not criminalized in practice (as in, they often "let it slide" if they got married in a different country/state/province where it is legal.) This means polyamorous people have no legal protections whatsoever and that the law will not be of any help to them, and could punish them if they seek any legal assistance related to their marriage.

Blue = legal.

Green = legal, but only for Muslims.

White = legal status unknown.

[ID: A world map. In Africa, the blue locations are Algeria, Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eswatini, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Libya, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Somalia, Somaliland, South Sudan, South Africa, Sudann, Togo, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. The rest of Africa is either orange, black, or white. In Asia, the blue locations are Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Maldives, Oman, Qatar, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The green locations are Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Pakistan, Singapore, and India. The rest of Asia is black, orange, and a few small spots of white. Russia is orange. The rest of Europe is black. The Solomon Islands are blue. The rest of the Oceania, North America, and South America are all black. Only Antarctica and a few small specks on the map are white. /End ID.]

"Oh, but they could move to a location where it is legal" - this is classist and ableist. Not all people have the financial or medical ability to move. They might be unable to afford it, or they might be relying on specific healthcare that is only provided in their current area.

Additionally, you shouldn't have to move in order to be able to marry someone. That is a fucked up standard to give queer relationships.

Let's flip this the other way, too. If a married gay couple or polycule from a legalized location wanted or even NEEDED to migrate to a location where their marriage is illegal, what would they do? Getting a citizenship in a new location can risk not only their relationship, but legal trouble, potentially even jail.

And finally, 3- trans, gender diverse, and varsex people are rarely considered in marriage rights either.

The legal rights to marrying someone marked with an "X" on their ID (either due to being non-binary and getting their legal marker changed, or due to being one of the rare cases of being unassigned at birth) are complicated in a majority of the world.

The legal rights to marrying a binary trans person or an intersex person who has swapped from "F" to "M", or "M" to "F" is also complicated.

Inspired by Third Wheel fic by Taba

I swear to goddesses, this stuff can cure depression episodes.

I forgot to post. Edit:

Google spreadsheet: Timeline of TeiNeiMaku races.

Polygamy is translated as mitala in Swahili.

Alternatively, to explicitly describe the practice of having multiple wives (polygyny), the phrase ndoa ya wake wengi (marriage to many wives) is commonly used.

To say "polygamy" (specifically the practice of having multiple wives, or polygyny) in Amharic, you can use the phrase ከአንድ በላይ ማግባት (ke-and belay magbat).

There is no single, direct, standalone noun for "polygamy" in the Igbo language. Instead, the concept is described descriptively depending on the context

Ịlụ karịrị otu nwunye" (literally: marrying more than one wife) — This is the most accurate and common way to express polygyny

Ancient Egyptian had no direct single word for "polygamy". Instead, the concept was described as having "many wives" (ḥmwt), usually phrased as taking a secondary wife alongside the primary "Great Royal Wife" (ḥmt-nswt wrt). For royalty, the royal apartments were referred to as the ipet nesut (the "king's house").

While polygamy was technically legal and practiced by pharaohs for political alliances or dynastic succession, it was rare and generally limited to the wealthy elite. The cultural ideal for ordinary ancient Egyptians was strict monogamy, with tomb paintings heavily emphasizing devoted, single-couple partnerships

Polygyny (one man with multiple wives) is deeply rooted in African Traditional Religion (ATR) and indigenous cultures. It acts as a highly valued social and spiritual institution tied to wealth, prestige, lineage continuity, and maximizing offspring to honor ancestors through rebirth.

Tensions with Monotheistic Faiths

Historically, European missionaries from Christian denominations strictly condemned polygyny, often viewing it as incompatible with Christian doctrine. This created deep cultural friction, as early converts were required to abandon additional wives to be baptized. Conversely, while Islam permits polygamy (up to four wives under specific conditions), indigenous ATR frameworks emphasize lineage and ancestral duty distinctly from Abrahamic theological guidelines. Modern African independent churches and contemporary theologians continue to debate whether strict monogamy is a biblical necessity or an unnecessary imposition of Western cultural norms.

Core Socio-Religious Drivers

Ancestral Continuity & Rebirth: A central tenet of ATR is ensuring the family line continues so that deceased ancestors can be perpetually reborn. Multiple wives increase the chances of having numerous descendants, solidifying immortality for the lineage.

Male Heirs: If a first wife fails to bear children or only gives birth to daughters, polygyny serves as a culturally accepted path to secure male heirs to preserve the family name and heritage.

Economic & Agricultural Value: In traditional, agrarian-based societies, large families provide the necessary labor force to cultivate land and improve the economic status of the household.

Social Alliances: For leaders and patriarchs, taking wives from different clans or lineages symbolically unifies communities, reduces internal rivalries, and creates widespread kinship networks.

Traditional Spacing Customs: In many indigenous African cultures, couples practice extended postpartum abstinence (sometimes lasting a few years while nursing). Polygyny allowed men to maintain continuous conjugal relationships without violating these traditional child-spacing norms.