First of all I would like to make one thing quite clear. I never explain anything. - M. Poppins

[nullalux]

As promised, a brief analysis and summary of responses to my Ideologies and Affiliations Poll.

Ethnicity: My mother is Filipina and my father, German. I lived in the Philippines before we settled in the US. My journal layout is in Ancient Greek only because I studied Classical Languages in college. According to poll results, both people who have and have not met me mostly thought I was some sort of generic Caucasian, which I find interesting, as I identify very strongly as Asian. Must be the light-colored eyes.

Religion: I identify as a Jewish atheist, meaning I value culturally Jewish rituals but consider myself a secular humanist. Most folks checked either Jewish or Jewish Atheist.

Sexuality: I'm a solid 3 on the Kinsey Scale. Most respondents answered bi, whether they've met me or not.

Dietary choices: I am vegan, both for health and ethical reasons. Those who have not met me primarily thought I was vegetarian or vegan. Those who have met me overwhelmingly chose vegan.

Political affiliation: Moderate. In high school, I was Republican. By college, I'd shifted to Libertarian, but became frustrated by the two-party system and eventually registered as Decline to State. According to the poll, most people considered me politically liberal, with a smattering each for moderate and socialist.

Relationship model: Polyfidelity seems the closest fit, since I've heard 'polyamory' defined as 'multiple relationships without commitments' (which seems problematic at best). Those who have met me all answered with some form of poly, although more favored polyamory. Of those who have not met me, 68% chose polyamory and 23% polyfidelity.

Regarding the amusing Relationship Poll, several respondents seem to have very ambitious projections regarding my stamina in such matters! In truth, I have varying levels of intimacy with some of my lovely cuddlesome friends, but I maintain only a few more serious connections. I also feel compelled to note here that Spencer is my cat, and further, while he is quite a handsome gentleman, we have a strictly platonic relationship.

Comments

[chalepa-ta-kala.livejournal.com]

One could argue that it reflects poorly upon non-commitment-phobic, safer-sex-practicing poly folk.

[karenbynight.livejournal.com]

One could also argue that characterizing people who want casual sexual relationships as commitment-phobic and non-safer-sex-practicing is both prejudicial and non-factual. At least, I would certainly argue so, for the sake of the longstanding relationship commitments I have with two partners who also engage in casual sexual relationships, and whose safer sex practices are beyond reproach.

Here's why *I* care: I worry that when it comes time for large-scale political battles, like formalizing financial commitments for groups larger than two, or simply guaranteeing the standard parental rights for adults audacious enough to have non-standard romantic or sexual relationships... we'll all be here infighting over whether having had a non-romantic sexual relationship last year makes you too immoral to sign our petition.

In any case, I think we're the only ones for it to possibly reflect badly to. The argument "we're not just having sex; we're having relationships" IME doesn't work well for convincing strictly-monogamy-minded people that polyamory is ethical; from my experience, their insurmountable issue with it is not generally sex outside of relationships, but simultaneous sexual relationships, whether casual or committed.