Polygamy operating in the real world:

Thanks to Jason at Positive Liberty for the generous discussion of my post on polygamy and same-sex marriage. It's important that those who support same-sex marriage understand how to counter the notion that there is no way to distinguish between allowing for one and not the other on anything other than arbitrary grounds. The money quote from my original post:

We outlaw polygamy for precisely the same policy reason why we would demand the recognition of gay marriage: the meaningful chance for any individual to marry a person they love. The gay man, like the single-unlucky male in a polygamous society cannot marry any person he loves.

Then Jason cites a passage from a blogger with real world experience in a polygamous environment where he informs us that polygamy, as practiced, is hardly consensual or adult (and thus doesn't fall into the rubric of "let consenting adults do what they wish").