CULTURE
CLASH a venue for Galveston’s free thinkers
CULTURE CLASH (Be a Better Human)
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Polyamory LETTER FROM PUBLISHER:
THE GALVESTON REALTOR
Find Your Galveston
Fact is, in love as in life, communication is key. How can you know what you want if you can not put it into words? At our sister business, JanMar Agency, we always say, “If you want us to fuck-off and die, just tell us!”
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In this issue, we invite you to hang up your stagnant ideas about traditional love and relationships and explore FREE LOVE at its finest. The topics and discussions here may not be for all, but we encourage you to approach with an open mind. Most of all we hope you read, enjoy, and share.
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Buckle up Galveston because this issue is HOT (or so you would think when highlighting a topic as taboo as Polyamory). However after spending the last few months curating and creating this publication we have all learned that with polyamory, it is all about communication, which is sometimes less than hot.
Whatever your preferences, whatever your desires, the idea that communication can get you there, seems so simple. What we start to see is that regardless of sexual orientation, we will all need to verbally express our needs in order to be fully understood. In fact our long term happiness depends on it.
Write us an email or shoot us a comment any time online: CultureClashGalveston.com CultureClashGalveston@gmail.com Janese Maricelli Publisher
ON THE COVER: “Love Multicolored” by Corinne Tamayo. Paint Brush in Photoshop. This artist is a Graphic Designer at JanMar Agency. She is a lover of both digital and traditional art, and is living the dream doing both as her job. Contact her and follow her at: ctamayo331@gmail.com & @corincat331 on Instagram.
*This magazine is NOT printed on recycled paper or with soy-based inks YET! But we are working on it. Help us get there, advertise or sponsor us! E-mail for more details CultureClashGalveston@gmail.com. C U LTU R EC L A S H G A LV E STO N . C O M • S E P T/O CT 2 0 2 1
table of contents Vol. 4 Issue 6 (Sept/Oct 2021)
CULTURE
CL AS H magazine
DEPARTMENTS Be A Better Human
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PUBLISHER Janese Maricelli-Thomasson LAYOUT & DESIGN JanMar Agency
7 The Love They Carried
EDITOR
Express Yourself
Jamie Maricelli Selah Tacconi
10 Polyamory Explained by Some Guy Who’s Never Done It
INTERN
Savannah Walser
15 The Bigger Picture
CONTRIBUTORS
20 Jealousy
Amy Caton • Robert Dean Jordan Dodgson • Aarron Laidig Mickey Louse • Robin North Savannah Walser
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Coolture 23 Also You
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25 Be An Advocate 26 PULSE Calendar 28 People of Galveston
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FEATURED ARTIST: AARRON LAIDIG “PACHM 2” WATERCOLOR & INK Love is love is love. Love who you want, the way you want. Learn to love more openly, and heal the world.
be a better human
Recopy box, line, header, and copy.
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CULTURE CLASH (Be a Better Human)
The LOVES They Carried By Amy Caton “A thing may happen and be a total lie; another thing may not happen and be truer than the truth.” -Tim O’Brien, The Things They Carried
Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com
INSPIRED, BEAUTIFUL, COMPLICATED, DANGEROUS, FULFILLING LOVE. Our relationship with love itself is polyamorous. Have you ever been confused about how to sort through your intense feelings toward someone? Were you maybe told there’s only one type of love? The one you find with a lifelong partner and no other human is allowed to share that sacred relationship? Well, you deserve more love and better information.
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Part one of the secret is that we need different types of love from diverse people to be a whole human. We are a composite of the many types of loves we receive and give into this world. I found seven types of love known innately but studied and identified by scientists to help us understand ourselves: sexual, friendship, familial, universal, uncommitted, practical, and self-love *(Burton, 2020). Whatever your type of love and with however many people, we seek to remake love patterns we have seen in our past not knowing the unseen, braided nature of how we love others and ourselves. We spend our life seeking, shaping, breaking, and reshaping our love connections. Yes plural: our famous insatiable first crushes, summoning courage to say I love you to a best friend, spontaneous vibes with strangers, testing boundaries with our forever partner, sheer frustration and elation of family and so many more.
Photos courtesy of Unsplash.com
*Burton, N. (2020). These are the 7 types of love. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201606/these-are-the-7-types-love
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Part two of the secret is to value the multitude and movement of love toward or away from you. For me, these polyamorous loves span the globe, genders, identities, races, ages. Love ignites suddenly, slow burns in our souls, and occurs in common shared moments, notching our hearts each time with a unique imprint. I allow myself to become these loves, share the experience of love, and release the love when it is time to move on. The fanatical, life-long, momentary, and even dead LOVES I carry create my wholeness and sense of self-love. To the stranger I shared a cigarette with or danced with for a day, to the bestie who stepped in as family when needed and let me drink a few too many bottles of wine, to the partners and friendships I left behind, to the family who carries the weight of unconditional love, to my partner for sharing their passion, you are the braided LOVES that I carry. Each love is different hued and influential like a stained glass window making the mosaic of our self. We build our relationships with many types of love and in looking at love this way, form the love of ourselves and begin to see how we become whole humans with loves that they carry. C U LTU R EC L A S H G A LV E STO N . C O M • S E P T/O CT 2 0 2 1
express
Yourself FEATURED ARTIST ARTIST:: AARRON LAIDIG “UNTITLED” ACRYLIC
As Drake circa 2011 reminds us, YOLO! Live your best life and do you. Express Yourself and let your freak flag fly high.
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POLYAMORY POLYAMORY EXPLAINED EXPLAINED BY BY ? SOME SOME DUDE DUDE WHO’S WHO’S ? NEVER NEVER DONE DONE IT. IT.
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By By Robert Robert Dean Dean
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CULTURE CLASH (Express Yourself)
THE WORLD ISN’T AS BLACK AND WHITE AS WE’D LIKE IT TO BE SOMETIMES. Love doesn’t come in a box with a bow on it, neither does sexuality. Back in the day, there were hushed tones whispering about the neighbors having “key parties”, (where couples dropped their car keys into a fishbowl, and the key that is selected from the bunch is who you are going home with). There were the women who lived together as “roommates” while sitting for ham at Christmas dinner, but they were most definitely swapping spit once the prying eyes of their families were in the rear view mirror. We used to know these things were happening on the hush-hush, but we never talked about them. American emotional and sexual identity is a thing built in the shadows. Today, fucking forget it. The younger folks coming up look at love, relationships, and society as a whole with a different lens than how many of us figured out what our slice of existence could look like. Culture is changing; there are new avenues, identities, and ways to experience life. Everything on the table and what you choose to embrace or experiment with, those concepts are yours to experience. We’ve got Lil Nas X straight up lap-dancing the devil in one video, and the next he’s got backup dancers with their dicks straight up out. 2021 ain’t Elvis shaking his hips, causing great-grandmothers to pass out in delight. After a few wars, stock market crashes, rampant predatory capitalism, and a pandemic, people are out here L-I-V-I-N’. C U LTU R EC L A S H G A LV E STO N . C O M • S E P T/O CT 2 0 2 1
One of the newest subjects that’s come up is the zeitgeist polyamory or just “Poly” to those hip to the term: Polyamory isn’t swinging, where it’s cool if couples bang whomever out of sexual boredom. Polygamy like the Sister Wives folks on basic cable where some sketchy dude is married to six different women who “calls upon them” with his needs. Instead, Polyamory’s basis lies in non-monogamy (which often involves married folks) but offers a wider range of relationships, both straight and LBGTQ. There’s a lot of forms of non-monogamy out there. You can be regular-ass married to someone but have a side chick, and it’s cool. And at the same time, the husband could have a side dude, too. It’s all in how the two people structure their relationship. Some of the people who are involved believe this is their orientation. They struggle to be cool with just one person. That sounds like a lot to juggle, but it’s their party. I can only deal with one Target trip a week, let alone scheduling multiple to tickle someone’s fancy. Statistics are floating around Google, citing that 21% of people have cruised the consensual non-monogamy life, and if you’ve ever been on a dating app, you can back that stat up because there are a lot of couples looking for a “third”. One study even said that a third of gay men have had polyamorous relationships at one point, and again, zero surprise because dudes are animals always looking for that good-good, right? The poly thing isn’t for everyone, though. Ask anyone who’s been in a committed relationship for a hot minute, and you’re going to get a brick thrown at your head for suggesting a desire to open things up. Most people aren’t wired that way. 11
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What about cheating? How does that work? The people I’ve asked in “the lifestyle” tell me everything is about transparency and what’s allowed between the couple’s agreement. If banging anyone and everyone is a part of the deal, then that’s how the rules were set. Otherwise, it’s considered taboo to go outside of agreed-upon people. When you read about the poly world, you’ll hear about “compersion”, which means “a feeling of warmth or joy experienced when a partner becomes emotionally or sexually involved with another person”. This should not be confused with cuckolding.
So, does poly work? Well, that’s all in the eye of the beholder. Sometimes, people choose to get into it simply out of a desire to keep their partner happy, and it becomes a power struggle of happiness. Most of the time, couples decide to open the bedroom door out of sexual growth and into some enlightened booty action. Again, the whole deal breaks down on if this situation works for you. It’s essential to be cool and see the world from a different point of view, without judgment. If poly life isn’t your bag, there’s nothing wrong with that. It is just like the people who want to wear a goat mask and hooves when they bang, as long as they’re having a good time, they’re not hurting anyone. Life is one constant Choose Your Adventure book, so get the most out of it. Me, I’m polyamorous with tacos.
Photo courtesy of ShutterStock.com
Generally, it takes like minds and conversations from the beginning on sexual status, openness, etc. to set the parameters of what the relationship is built on rather than Joe Construction Worker from the Midwest asking his wife if she was down with getting weird with new people after the kids have moved out. “Oh, Steve, who’s always here? He’s our third”. Not judging, it isn’t effortless. Here’s the deal, emotionless screwing is one thing, NRE (New Relationship Energy) is a whole different ball game. NRE is when someone new jumps into the relationship and all of that excitement and fascination. That new relationship hot sex can derail a time-tested relationship with a fresh car smell. Experienced polyamorists know this dance and make it a point to pay attention to their regular partner so people don’t get weird because, like all things, it routinely takes shape. Everyone realizes that farts will slip out, and even the hottest people wear retainers to bed.
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CULTURE CLASH (Express Yourself)
The Bigger Picture By Jordan Dodgson
AS I WRITE THIS ARTICLE, I’M GETTING READY FOR A DATE WITH A MARRIED MAN. I can imagine his wife, who knows all about me, helping him pick out something to wear to impress me. I’m polyamorous (or poly). It’s been a slow evolution, and for the longest time I thought of myself as an everyday girl who wanted to date a guy and play with extra people in the bedroom. Looking back, I see polyamory is one part of a full spectrum of Ethical Non-Monogamy. It’s only recently that I’ve felt able to embrace this part of myself. I’m currently dating a woman longdistance, and a couple of men who are also Ethically Non-Monogamous (ENM). In the non-monogamous world almost every relationship is unique, which can be really confusing at first, but it allows for a beautiful range of self-expression and self-awareness, and for some, the most satisfying relationships imaginable. Many monogamous people conflate any kind of non-monogamy as cheating, because they still view the world through monogamous colored glasses. Cheating on a partner involves lying and betraying a trust that was established according to the boundaries and expectations of the relationship. In an ENM relationship, all partners involved agree in
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CULTURE CLASH (Express Yourself) advance that having sex with more than one partner is groovy, and they may specify more boundaries from there. A partner can still cheat on their non-monogamous partner if these agreements are broken, and it still hurts like hell to be betrayed. To give you a bigger picture of the complex world that is poly culture, I started asking my lovers, and even the stranger sitting next to me on a recent flight, what they thought about polyamory. I was amazed at some of the misconceptions out there.
“OH YOU KNOW, THOSE PEOPLE JUST WANT TO HAVE ORGIES,” says the guy from the airplane.“If you don’t define the relationship, you know, ‘the talk’, is it cheating? And I think non-monogamous people don’t have the talk.” One of my partners who is very new to the lifestyle said, “I always thought poly people would be flaky. You’re dating someone and all of the sudden they ditch you because some other person they liked would call. I thought poly people are sex-crazed, and if they can’t commit to one person, they can’t commit to anything.” This comment really made me chuckle, coming from one of the most reliable and productive guys I know. Let’s untangle these misconceptions and welcome the many facets which ethical non-monogamy can show itself as, to give you a better idea of the unique ways a shocking number of people are defining their relationships these days.
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FIRST OF ALL, WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ETHICAL NON-MONOGAMY AND POLYAMORY? Think of Ethical NonMonogamy, or ENM, as the big umbrella under which polyamory exists. ENM also includes other ways of relating that are outside the usual 2-person system. The most important part that tends to blow monogamous people’s mind’s is the ethical part. With ENM, the nonmonogamy is specifically sexual. Some ENM couples are swingers, or go to sex parties and share partners together, but who never see their other lovers beyond the bedroom. Another example of an ENM relationship might involve a monogamous spouse who falls in love with a nonmonogamous person who is completely transparent, honest and communicative about their non-monogamous ways. Before vows are said, everyone knows what they’re getting into and is enthusiastically consenting. So how is poly different from ENM? Polyamory comes from the Greek, poly = many, amory = love. These many-loving people may be in relationships that has nothing to do with sex, but all about emotion and connection.
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CULTURE CLASH (Express Yourself)
UNSPOKENAGREEMENTS AGREEMENTS OF OF UNSPOKEN TRADITIONAL MONOGAMY: TRADITIONAL MONOGAMY: -You will not find anyone else attractive ever again. If you do, it’s proof there’s something wrong with your relationship. -You will only ever have sex with that person ever again. -You will fulfill ALL of the other person’s needs. -You are each other’s other half, and all other relationships are secondary to the romantic relationship. -If you get jealous, that’s proof you love your partner, or vice-versa. -This is for-ev-er. -Don’t fuck it up, a breakup is a failure, and you’re back to square one. -Your partner will know and love you so well that they can anticipate your needs and feelings in advance. They can read your mind, making verbal communication skills unnecessary. Hence, all of these rules shall remain UNSPOKEN.
In fact, the myth about all poly people being sex-crazed is blasted by the numbers of asexual people in the poly community. Asexual people, often referred to as ace, aren’t into sex. They form deep loving commitments and connections, but they don’t have much of a sex drive to speak of. Some asexual folk love cuddling and kissing and intimacy, others not so much. What sometimes occurs, is that an asexual partner may fall in love with someone who still desires sexual connection. If these two are poly, hooray! The sexual partner may find another lover (or two) who satisfies their sexual needs, and the ace partner may fall in love with other (non-sexual) partners as well. For me, as a bisexual woman, polyamory allows me to express the fun range of my queerness by allowing for relationships with men and women.
Many people also identify as demi-sexual, which means they are only sexually attracted to people who they have an emotional and romantic connection with. For these folx, a purely sexual ENM partnership would feel hollow and unsatisfying. Polyamory would potentially be a better fit, since it’s more about love than sex. I know, it’s a lot at first. Consider that we’ve had the unspoken agreements of monogamy pounded deep into our subconscious since we were kids watching
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Disney movies. There is a very specific, one-size-fits-all demand from our society, and deviations from this norm can boggle the mind. We’re supposed to fall in love at first sight with our significant other, or otherwise know instinctually from the beginning that we have spotted “the one” (big shout out to all those Disney princesses who know prince charming .5 seconds before the love story goes into overdrive toward happily ever after). Then it’s marriage, babies, and the white picket fence home. When we retire at 65, we can finally enjoy our lives, until we get so old our kids take care of us.
WHAT IS IT ACTUALLY LIKE TO BE NON-MONOGAMOUS? Let’s get to the nitty-gritty— how the hell does one open a relationship? Or what if you’re currently single and want to be ENM? First things first. Get ready to talk to your future partner(s) and do some self-reflection about all those unspoken agreements we mentioned. ENM life surprised me with the overabundance of communication. I thought it would NOT be hot to talk so openly and frankly about sexy stuff. I used to think, isn’t part of the fun the mystery? Will we or won’t we? Here’s a text thread from the first time I hooked up with one partner:
Pa g e e h t p Fl i to S e e S a i d hey T t a h W
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so do I get the green light from your girlfriend to borrow you one of these days? Yes, she approved ;) What kind did you have in mind? I was thinking a sleepover at my place :D Hmm, sleepover, does that mean you’re anticipating some romantic engagement I should ask my girlfriend about? Oh hell yes. I’m happy to get tested again if y’all like, my last check-up was before my last boyfriend but I’m due for a Dr. visit anyway Coooool, let me check…. ok yeah! Please do get tested so we’re all clear. I just got tested and I’m all set for our date
In my experience, it’s best to have the conversation ASAP with your potential or existing partners. When I meet someone new, I bring my polyamory up on the first date, in case they missed it on my dating profile. If you’re not poly, but could imagine that you’d like to explore playing with others in the future, I think it’s a great policy to mention it sooner than later. It’s a sexy way to open up to your partner about your desires, and when you’re ready to explore others it won’t be a huge surprise that might may the other person feel like there’s suddenly something wrong going on in your relationship. If you’re getting started, GO SLOW. There is so much to un-learn from the reigning norms of monogamy, and so much to learn at the same time. You’ll want to strengthen your self-awareness big time, and work on considerately communicating your evolving needs to your partners. Definitely read some books from our recommended resources, and follow all the ENM people you can find on the socials to help strengthen your sense of community. You are not alone.
DO POLYAMOROUS RELATIONSHIPS WORK? Despite popular opinion, not every open relationship has ended in burned bridges and heartbreak. Although there are no clear stats out there, you probably have at least similar odds for a successful ENM relationship as the 50% odds of success of marriage in the US today. If you’re curious about ENM or polyamory, take a good hard look at the unspoken agreements you’ve probably been living with in relationships, and consider which ones make sense to you and which ones don’t. Talk about these agreements with your current or future partners. This lifestyle is not for everyone, and it’s as challenging as monogamy. What matters in the end is being true to yourself and honest and loving with those you love.
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Photos courtesy of Unsplash.com
This is not the kind of sexting I had imagined when I jumped onto the non-monogamy train, but this kind of crystal-clear communication has turned out to be more the norm. Surprisingly to me, the fact that my date knew I wanted to have sex didn’t kill the mood.
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Educate Yourself S K O BO SEX AT DAWN: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality, by Christopher Ryan and Cailda Jethá, is an evolutionary biological look at our nonmonogamous history.
THE ETHICAL SLUT: A Guide to Infinite Sexual Possibilities, by Dossie Easton and Catherine A. Liszt, defines slut as “a person of any gender who has the courage to lead life according to the radical proposition that sex is nice and pleasure is good for you,” and offers practical advice as well as an overview of ethical non-monogamy.
POLYSECURE: Attachment, Trauma, and Consensual Non-Monogamy, by Jessica Fern, applies the insightfulness of attachment theory to non-monogamy with a trauma-informed perspective, and gives strategies to heal and thrive in the relationship style of your choice.
UNTRUE: Why Nearly Everything We Know About Women, Lust, and Adultery is Wrong and How the New Science Can Set Us Free, by Wednesday Martin. C U LTU R EC L A S H G A LV E STO N . C O M • S E P T/O CT 2 0 2 1
PODCASTS: Multiamory Insolentes (Español and English episodes) True Sex and Wild Love
INSTAGRAMMERS: @puritytopolyamory @dearpolypodcast @poly.phonics @bygabriellesmith @che.che.luna @poly.people.meet @polyamemes
DATING APPS: BiCupid
B A C VO COMPERSION: noun: The feeling of joy associated with seeing a loved one love another; contrasted with jealousy. (-Wordnik) The word compersion is loosely defined as the opposite of jealousy. Instead of feeling upset or threatened when your partner romantically or sexually interacts with another person, you feel a sense of happiness for them. Instead of sparking jealousy, it sparks earnest empathetic joy. (-Mind Body Green)
METAMOUR: noun: The lover of your lover. “I am most worried in my relationships that I could hurt my metamours feelings.”
Feeld #Open
W O L L FO
POLYCURE: noun: A connected network of people in non-monogamous relationships. The term apparently likens such a network to a model of a chemical molecule, which uses lines, circular shapes, or symbols to indicate bonds between atoms. (-Dictionary.com)
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Robin North
Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com
On Jealousy 20
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IF YOU’VE HAD MORE THAN ONE PET, YOU KNOW THAT JEALOUSY IS A UNIVERSAL EXPERIENCE FOR US MAMMALS. Pet dog #1 and dog #2 is all over you for attention. So how do ethically-non-monogamous (or ENM) people deal with their partners having sex or falling in love with others? Let’s consider jealousy in other areas of life for context. Kids have a tendency to be jealous of their siblings, or popular kids in school. In fact, part of what we learn in school is how to transmute envy into positive social fiber. We learn to be good teammates or to cheer on our friends when they get a raise. When it comes to love, however, everyone gets a pass to be jealous. We’re taught that jealousy can be a healthy form of expressing love. Think of the rom-coms where the female lead has to choose between her new city-boy fiancé or the old flame from her smalltown high school days. We write off the fiancé when he compassionately cheers on the woman who
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leaves him to be with her old heartthrob. No big jealousy? No big love. After all, there is scarcity in the monogamous model we are shown. We have one chance to find “the one”, and if we don’t fight for them, we will be sad, single, and lonely. But how about those ENM folx? The swingers, the throuples, the solo-polyam singles with several partners, the married adventurers with play partners on the side? As an ENM person myself, I can share that the feeling of love shifting from a scarce resource to a plentiful one is an exhilarating, beautiful thing. It’s a clouds-parting-forthe-sunshine, rainbows, and butterflies big feeling. Still, jealousy happens. The best prevention for jealousy is great communication from day one. I feel safest and most supported when I know about all my partner’s partners, and that we’re all tested regularly for STDs. Other ENM situations might be more or less transparent. Some share partners, others have a hard boundary
against it. If you’re interested in ENM, it’s on you to be ready for these conversations. You’ll be called to be the most selfaware and communicative version of yourself. You’ll be checking in constantly to see how things may have evolved over time—it’s not a one-time convo. I recently noticed the jealous reflex go off when I saw a picture of my partner kissing their girlfriend. I heard the script of society going off in my head, telling me this is your cue to be angry, but my emotions weren’t in sync. I felt nothing for a second. Yes, I missed my partner’s adorable face, and there she was, on vacation, maybe feeling that big love rainbow feeling…and I felt…peaceful happiness in my partner’s happiness. I am mindful that I have a lot to unlearn about jealousy, and moments like this to re-learn give me practice being happy for my partner. After all, as lovers, we get pleasure from our partner’s pleasure. What if we practice trying that outside of the bedroom?
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C00LTURE FEATURED ARTIST: ARTIST: AARRON LAIDIG “ONCE I WAS THEN” OIL ON CANVAS
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CULTURE CLASH (Coolture)
Also You Of all the loves, I’ve ever had From the greatest good to the obscenely bad The best ones were always you And you, and also you. Every time I think about this world I’ll start to cry, but I know I’ll be better If I can get through the night with you And you, and also you. I’m glad the bouquets at the store Always have more than one flower So, I can give one to you, And you, and also you. You are the lights of my life The loves that keep me going When I awake, I hope to see you And you, and also you. But don’t bother waking me In these sheets that need cleaning Because I’ll be dreaming of you And you, and also you. Mickey Louse
Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com
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EPIC BASH IV
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Scan Me ils For Deta
Galveston Island Brewery • 6-10pm 8423 Stewart Rd, Galveston, TX 77554
Food Truck Love By The Shepherd Mix Street Tacos • Chicken Tenders • Burgers & Ramen
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BE AN ADVOCATE! ople e p n Do ed i g a eng mory a l poly ny lega ea hav ights? r
The answer is no, currently, not many. Multiple U.S. states have explicitly recognized the families with multiple parents, such as step-families, adoptive families, and families with CNM parents. The Uniform Parentage Act allows for the legal recognition of more than two parents. In June 2020, the City of Somerville adopted an ordinance allowing for more than two domestic partnerships, whereby residents could legally recognize more than one committed relationship. Outside of the US, the Supreme Court of Newfoundland has recently recognized the parental responsibilities of a polyamorous, three-parent family.
Historically, non-traditional relationships (e.g., same-sex couples and CNM relationships) and families (e.g., bi-racial families) were criminalized and declared unfit to raise their own children. Despite reforms and progress for some family structures, these negative assumptions persist today. Many judges conclude, without supporting evidence, that people who engage in CNM are less moral, less stable, and less capable to care for children compared to monogamous people (e.g., V.B. v. J.E.B., 2012; Cross v. Cross, 2008). Further, some family courts have misunderstood polyamorous relationships, many assuming that long-term committed plural relationships are equivalent to “wife-swapping” or casual sexonly swinging. (Cross v. Cross, 2008; In re Aleksandree M.M., 2010). Ignorance about polyamory fuels systematic discrimination towards these families.
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H pol ow ar yam e or p dis eopl ous crim e aga inate inst d ?
PLAC (POLYAMORY LEGAL ADVOCACY COALITION) NEEDS PEOPLE TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT THEIR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES OF DISCRIMINATION TO NEWS AND MEDIA PUBLICATIONS TO ADVANCE THE FIGHT FOR CIVIL RIGHTS. If you have a story to share, please email info@polyamorylegaladvocacycoalition.org with “Polyamory Media” in the subject line. Information provided by polyamorylegal.org
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Sept. - Oct. 2021 Calendar of Events
September GALVESTON HARBOR TOURS AT SUNSET Wed & Sat, Sept 1st & 4th, 6:30pm - 8:30pm Galveston Historic Seaport 2200 Harborside Drive $35 Admission Learn More at galvestonhistory.org ‘THE INVITE AT ST. JOES’ FEATURING DREW KENNEDY Sat, Sept 11th, 7pm - 9pm $20 Admission 1859 St. Joseph’s Church 2202 Avenue K Learn More at galvestonhistory.org
AND FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK @CULTURECLASHMAG
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CULTURE CLASH EPIC BASH 4! Sat, Sept 18th, 6pm - 10pm Galveston Island Brewery 8423 Stewart Rd Free Admission Family Friendly FULL MOON LABYRINTH WALK: HARVEST MOON Mon, Sept 20th, 7:30pm 17th & Seawall Stairs 1700 Seawall Blvd Free Admission
October WALKTOBERFEST: PUB CRAWL & POKER HAND Sat, Oct 16th, 11am - 6pm Downtown Galveston Begins at Murphy’s Irish Pub 21+ Event $30 Admission fee postofficedistrict.com/ walktoberfest EEHDA FALL GARDEN TOUR AND CRAFT MARKET Sat, Oct 16th, 9am - 4pm East End Historic District Cottage 1501 Postoffice St $15 admission eastendhistoricaldistrict.org FULL MOON LABYRINTH WALK: BUCK MOON Wed, Oct 20th, 7pm 17th & Seawall Stairs 1700 Seawall Blvd Free Admission OKTOBERFEST: 39TH ANNUAL Oct 22nd - 24th, Fri 5pm - 10pm, Sat 11am - 10pm, Sun 10am - 12pm 2415 Avenue G Free Admission galvestonoktoberfest.com HAUNTED HARBOR TOURS Fri - Sat, Oct 22nd, 23rd, 29th, & 30th 4:30pm - 6pm Galveston Historic Seaport 2200 Harborside Drive $25 Admission galvestonhistory.org C U LTU R EC L A S H G A LV E STO N . C O M • S E P T/O CT 2 0 2 1
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GALVESTON GHOST STORIES Oct 22nd, 23rd, 29th, & 30th 7 pm - 8pm or 8:30pm - 9:30pm Menard House 1605 33rd St $45 Admission Learn More at galvestonhistory.org
SEE ART AARRON LAIDIG See Pgs. 6, 9, & 20
www.aarron.com/flow/ On IG @ aarronlaidig
MARK MAY BAND Sat, Oct 23rd, 8pm - 12am 3 Doors Down Bar 102 20th St Join Event on Facebook: Search “Mark May Band at 3 Doors Down Bar, Galveston, Texas”
Drink up JACK’S SNAPPER Jack Daniels, Amaretto, Cranberry Juice
MARINER’S MASQUERADE BALL: ONBOARD THE 1877 TALL SHIP ELISSA Fri, Oct 29th, 6pm - 9pm Galveston Historic Seaport 2200 Harborside Drive $75 Admission Learn More at galvestonhistory.org MOVIE NIGHT AT MENARD Sat, Oct 30th, 6:30pm - 9:30pm Menard House 1605 33rd St $10 Admission Learn More at galvestonhistory.org HALLOWEEN! Sun, Oct 31st
Shrimp N’ Stuff Downtown 2506 Ave. H (inside Antonelli Plaza)
TRICK OR TREATING AT THE 1838 MENARD HOUSE Sun, Oct 31st, 5pm - 6pm Menard House 1605 33rd St Free Admission Learn More at galvestonhistory.org
WANT YOUR EVENT LISTED? Email Us: CultureClashGalveston@gmail.com C U LTU R EC L A S H G A LV E STO N . C O M • S E P T/O CT 2 0 2 1
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What are your impressions on polyamory?
V L A G of
Interviews By Savanah Walser & Janese Maricelli
SAM & BELLA (A COUPLE) S: “So broad.” B: “That’s such a broad question.” S: “I think just, do what you want, it’s not for me. I would be too jealous.” B: “I would get jealous too, but I respect if you can do it. If you’re able to, I get the point.” S: “It takes a lot of maturity.” B: “People say it’s very unrealistic to be with one person for many years, that’s just not really human nature, and it makes sense, I feel like it would work for some people.” S: “Yeah, I think it takes a lot of maturity to do that, you have to be able to be...” B: “You gotta be open to communication and you have to make sure each partner you have is ok with the fact that there’s other partners.” S: “Yeah, that’s true.” B: “You also have to be safe about sexual things too probably, I don’t know. Not for me because I’d get jealous.” S: “It also sounds stressful, it seems stressful too to juggle so many relationships.” B: “Well, a lot of people who are polyamorous have a main partner relationship and then they basically have side chicks, I’ve seen that. It’s cool but, no.” S: “Not for us, but I respect it.”
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PHILIP ODOM “Individuals needs and desires are confusing enough... multiple people though? Sounds so overwhelming and I’ve yet to see someone, first hand, show me that it isn’t. It institutes an entire new world of new boundaries and things to communicate... or at least I think it would. Just sounds like another label that I wouldn’t want to take on even if I lived by the definition.”
PIERRE ALEXIS “I think polyamoristic, is that how you say it? I think it’s pretty you know, it’s a good experience to have. Honestly like if it’s mutual between both parties. I don’t know if I’d ever try it out.”
RAUL HERNANDEZ
MATT PATTERSON “Sounds awkward and just seems really complicated. I’ve never been able to be in a relationship with more than one person at a time.”
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“In the past I might have said, It’s a cheap way out of a marriage for people that don’t want to struggle with the challenges of marriage. Everyday is a new day and I am learning.”
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BRINGING TOGETHER ART, AWARENESS, AND ADVOCACY! Turtles About Town is a community art project that highlights the City of Galveston and the conservation efforts of Turtle Island Restoration Network to protect endangered sea turtles on the upper Texas coast. Turtle lovers of all ages have the opportunity to see 50 colorful Kemp’s ridley sea turtle statues that have been installed around the island since 2018. Businesses, individuals and organizations graciously sponsor the turtle statues while local artists are commissioned to give each one its own personality and meaning.
HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTT! No, really. Hold onto it.
Cigarette butts can take 25 years to decompose, are 98% plastic, and are toxic to marine life! Please help Galveston Surfrider reduce butt litter on the island, and in the ocean, by disposing of your butts in one of these cans provided by local businesses and individuals. #hotyb For more info, go to www.Galveston. Surfrider.org
Download a FREE map and go on a tour at seaturtles.org/turtles. Be sure to tag Turtle Island Restoration Network in your images (@TIRN-Gulf on Facebook and @TIRN.Gulf on Instagram) and tag #TurtlesAboutTown!
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To volunteer or sponsor a can, email hotyb@galveston. surfrider.org
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