We finally reached episode 69 and of course we had to talk about sex. Specifically how the idea of monogamy started and what polyamory really means. In this episode we go way back to early civilizations to discuss the evolution of marriage and single partner relationships. Were we always monogamous? Is it natural for our society? How does monogamy relate in the queer world versus the straight world? Don’t worry, we talk about it all. And set up for part two of the series. When we dive into the ancient concept yet modern lifestyle known today as Polyamory. As we dive into today’s topic we will touch on a variety of discussions surrounding polyamory. We will of course address the history, but we will also lay down some basic principles and terminologies within the poly world. As well as addressing the many forms of polyamory in which a couple or an individual could partake. In addition, we will stress repeatedly the differences between open relationships, polygamy, and cheating. This is due to the abuse often perpetuated by those who cheat or by religions that endorse polygamy. If all parties are not in a place to consent, fully consenting, and fully aware of what they are consenting to then that is not a polyamorous relationship. Please do not sully the goodness of polyamory by cheating on your partner and then claiming to be polyamorous.  Before we can get into the modern day culture of polyamory, we must first discuss the evolution of monogamous relationships. Anthropological evidence shows us that our ancestors were polygynic. Meaning one male with multiple women. And since humans are descendants of primates this form of mating makes sense. Of course not all early men were able to establish their harem of women. Doctor Michael Price of Psychology Today wrote in his article Why We Think Monogamy is Normal, Most ancestral men aspired to polygyny (even though most weren’t impressive enough to attract more than one wife), and some ancestral women preferred to be the co-wife of a really impressive man than the sole wife of a second-rate one. We cannot know exactly how monogamy took over but there are a few firm hypotheses proposed by scientists of early human development. The main drivers of monogamy are off-spring and resource access. Meaning that over time mates found that by focusing together as a family everyone seemed to thrive better. This is of course in a time period where the entire day would be spent simply on finding a place to lodge and food to eat. The stresses of early human life forced individuals into bands and tribes which eventually turned into towns and cities and later kingdoms and empires.  But even if two people paired up, this did not mean there was sexual monogamy. Especially on the males part. Scientists have divided monogamy into 4 sections. * Marital monogamy – only two people in a marriage, non-polygamy. * Social monogamy – two partners living together and building a life together. * Genetic monogamy – two partners reproducing children together and nurturing those children.  * Sexual monogamy – exclusive sex between two partners. It is not surprising that for most of human existence the first 3 monogamous relationships have been practiced and cultivated by different societies around the world. But the 4th stage of monogamy, sexual monogamy, is a rather new development in human evolution. In fact, to call it a part of human evolution is a stretch since sexual monogamy is mostly only practiced in Western civilization. Eastern cultures are still very fluid in their sexual experiences and polygamy is a staple in many eastern religions.  So it’s no surprise that the culprit behind monogamy is the same devil that’s been ruining all our fun for the last 2000 years. Of course we mean Christianity, specifically the institution of Christianity.