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My Partners and I
17 Aug 2009 12:43PM
Chester Zoo, Chester, England, UK
August 2009
"My partners and I - Polyamorous hand holding at Chester Zoo (UK) on a day
out with our kids. We always hold hands whenever we can anyway, but this photo
is for A DAY IN HAND's collection.
Actually, we're not all 'same sex', one of us is a woman, two of us are trans/genderqueer, but as far as the public can tell we're as gay as anyone else. We think it is important that people of all sexualities and genders are free to hold hands whenever they want to without fear, which is why we have joined in this public celebration of love and affection - it is a silent but effective statement of pride and belonging. In polyamorous families we certainly have a lot of love to celebrate!
Polyamory is the practice of, or capacity to, form
more than one ethical loving relationship with the consent and
co-operation of all people involved. Phoebe and Lucy, pictured with me
above (centre) are both my partners, they also both wear a ring as a
sign of our commitment. Unfortunately at this time, in this country, we
may not all marry, but it won't stop us getting as close as we can!
Though we have some protection from discrimination and legal recourse in the UK if we are attacked for being homosexual or bisexual, there is no such protection for people with other alternative sexualities, such as polyamorous or BDSM people - many people remain victims of state sanctioned discrimination for no reason other than their consensual adult sexuality, and some people can still be legally harassed, sacked, humiliated in the press, denied education, lose families, or go to prison for private consensual adult activities.
For those of us who can, being out is one of the ways we can all continue to fight prejudice, the root of this discrimination, by just being in the world and being visible, it is the gentlest form of activism by education. Many young queers still live in homophobic families, so in some ways it's even more important in a family environment that there are people who are out and proud, whatever their gender, whatever their sexuality.
Lots of heterosexual couples like to show similar affection, and when we hold hands I've observed that other handholders notice us most of all, and smile. Love courts solidarity and this silent language everyone understands is our strongest weapon against hatred.
Keep fighting for love everyone!"
Clair Lewis
National Convenor,
Consenting Adult Action Network
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