In this weekend's Sunday magazine, the Boston Globe tackles the issue of polyamory in the Boston area with sensitivity and aplomb.
It's a way of covering poly in a major mainstream media outlet that I have not yet seen, and I'm very pleased to see the way the article, while definitely 101 level, paints polyamory in the generally positive and complex light in which it should be viewed.
The Boston Phoenix covered polyamory in Boston back in 1998, and the Herald did a typically sensationalized puff piece on it in 2006 with the headline, "Hub hedonists spread the love." But this is the first time I've seen such a detailed, nuanced introduction to a way of life practiced by so many in the Boston area and elsewhere, printed in such a mainstream outlet as the Sunday magazine cover story.
My amusement at personally knowing most of the people cited in the article aside, I recommend it as a primer for those you may be trying to introduce to the concept in your life: the article, six web pages long, touches on jealousy, raising kids, polyfidelity, the intersection with bisexuality, the founding of Poly Boston and a number of other topics related to the basics of poly as well as the particular flavor of the local poly scene.
It is my sincere hope that the publication of this article marks the start of a new era in journalism around polyamory and related lifestyles; for too long our story has been relegated to page 19 at best, and often rife with misunderstandings and sensationalism. The Globe story points out how closeted poly people still tend to be, given the dangers of losing kids and jobs over the practice in some states. Perhaps a true outing is finally in the works.
Comments
Great commentary on the Globe article. It really is that good. But it's far from the first; the "new era in journalism" about poly has been building for the last few years.
Comments here don't allow links, but for my pick of the best examples of this, google up Polyamory in the News and in the right-hand sidebar, scroll down just a bit and click on "The Best".
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