Ill-Fated Portrayals of Non-monogamy (and Their Harmful Consequences)

While non-monogamous intimacies are becoming more prevalent in our present social landscape, they still face a range of injustices on social and political fronts. Politically, non-monogamists are excluded from certain rights or privileges that their monogamous counterparts hold, such as access to marriage. Socially, non- monogamists experience a kind of hermeneutical injustice where they are estranged from their own experiences with love and intimacy due to marginalization from the collective framework of understanding, to name a few. Demographically, the existing polyamorous community in the U.S. resembles that of folks in monogamous relationships. Additionally, consensual non-monogamous (CNM) relationships are fairly common among Black populations. Yet, despite the growing and diverse demographic profile of consensual non-monogamy, many people still think that “Black folks just don’t do that,” as most portrayals of consensual non-monogamy frame it as something that is only prevalent among highly educated middle to upper- class whites. This article discusses portrayals of Black non-monogamous relationships in the media and underscores the importance of accurately representing consensual non-monogamy in Black media. While some recent media portrayals of non- monogamy have featured casts and characters who are racialized as Black, I argue that many of these portrayals often reinforce harmful negative stereotypes and fail to capture the diversity and validity of Black CNM relationships.