Monogamy in the Dock

When the LGBT section transformed into Deviance over a year ago, it was controversial. Voices within the LGBT community were concerned that it threatened a marginalisation of non-heterosexual behaviour, and the word suggested condemnation. Yet it reflects a broader trend within The Skinny's intentions: to cover 'gay' events across the magazine while focusing intelligently on provocative areas of sexuality.

Now Deviance is leaping off the page and into the theatre. In tandem with the Tramway production of An Argument about Sex, written by Pamela Carter and directed by the ever-marvellous Stewart Laing, The Skinny is hosting a pre-show discussion: Is Monogamy Deviant?. Challenging prejudices about the naturalness of sexual relationships, this debate hopes to shed light on the play's themes with the added insight of a scientific perspective, as well as some of the ideas informing the Deviance section. In addition to Laing himself, we're very pleased to be bringing to the panel the distinguished evolutionary biologist Dr Helena Cronin, who is a co-director of the Darwin Centre at the London School of Economics, as well as a widely published and opinionated writer. The event is being co-promoted with ESRC Genomics Forum - our second collaboration with the organisation, which seeks to involve the public with ideas relating to genetics - and will look at the evolutionary factors (both genetic and social) behind our approach to relationships.

Since the play also deals with questions of gender difference, the panel strikes out for difficult territory, examining the gap between public tolerance and private morality, and will probably redefining monogamy and deviance every couple of minutes. Laing sees the panel as an extention of the performance. "We’re trying to do something different: we’re hoping it’s the ideas that will be debated, rather than the show itself." Another discussion associated with the play takes the structure of a formal debate proposing that the differences between men and women are innate. "This format is more directly confrontational, so it will be more dramatic than a regular Q+A."

The presence of Cronin promises a scientific perspective, and Laing is clear on the relevance of this: "if we accept that evolution plays a part in what we are physically, it seems a small step to believe our brains are part of the same development."

Monogamy has been the standard sexual relationship of western morality for some time, and despite its associations with male domination retains high status. The recent reforms to allow same-sex unions reflect the belief that monogamy is an important social bond. Yet this is hardly universal: a glance at classical Athens, a foundation of western culture, reveals a subtle relationship between marriage and what we now term homosexuality. And for sure, monogamy has never been purely a heterosexual phenomenon: the early Christian church blessed same-sex marriages; the idea of a 'life-partner' long preceded modern civil partnership. Whether it can be claimed as deviant in a modern, liberal climate, or remains accepted as 'normal', monogamy is certainly subject to challenge and personal adaptation.