Jessica Bennett, writing in a July 29 Newsweek web column on polyamory, puts the most positive face on swinging yet to appear in a mainstream media outlet. She maintains that having multiple partners among consenting adults is at the cutting edge of the new sexual revolution. The article ends with a quote from a swinger named Scott who feels sorry for the rest of us. “The people I feel sorry for are the ones who don’t ever realize they have any other choices beyond the traditional options society presents,” he says. So thoughtful.
The only problem these folks seem to acknowledge is parenting. Yes, that can be difficult at the breakfast table the next morning. As for how children fare, Bennett found a professor (we knew she would) who said the kids do just fine in poly families.
What was not mentioned, of course, is that the bed jumpers have a much higher rate of sexually transmitted diseases than the rest of us. It would be interesting to know if Scott thinks that is unfair and who is to blame. Or is genital herpes just the cost of doing business? And talking about costs, perhaps under the new health care bill we should levy a surcharge on those whose diseases are behaviorally driven. We could call it Donohue’s stimulus plan!
