Books by Brights
God's Brothel: The extortion of sex for salvation in contemporary Mormon and Christian fundamentalist polygamy and the stories of 18 women who escaped
Author: Andrea Moore-Emmett
To Purchase: Amazon USA / Amazon UK
Description
A shocking indictment of polygamy, this book reveals gruesome facts about Bible-based polygamy, a growing phenomenon now counting 50,000 - 100,000 members in 30 U.S. states, Canada, and Mexico. Eighteen brave women who escaped from 10 of the 11 main polygamous groups as well as from independent families tell their horrifying stories, which include rape, incest, orgies, drugs and violence, making this form of polygamy more akin to sexual slavery than to any quaint religious or lifestyle choice.
God's Brothel debunks the myth of benign religious polygamy that often gives rise to a hands-off attitude of police officers, prosecutors, judges, and social workers who otherwise would be protecting its victims from domestic violence and abuse. In these women’s stories, girls are raped and sexually abused from a young age and taught they have no value other than as objects for sexual gratification and reproduction. Expectant mothers have been heard to say that they hope their baby will be born with Down Syndrome, as such children are prized for their compliant natures and the government benefits they bring to polygamist communities (which often, even wealthy, receive huge amounts of public assistance even when the community is very wealthy, as part of their plan to “bleed the beast,” as they call the government).
Many girls and women are traded among the patriarchal men and some are forced to have sex with or marry their fathers, fathers-in-law, uncles, and brothers; in some cases, drugs and alcohol are used to coerce them into unwanted sex, including group sex. (In the words of one woman who escaped, “At least prostitutes get paid.”) Young boys also experience sexual abuse as well as horrific physical abuse--in one case, an attempted castration.
About the Author
Author Andrea Moore Emmett is a journalist and researcher whose articles about polygamy have appeared in Salt Lake City Weekly. She speaks across the country concerning abuses against women and children within polygamy and was the researcher for the two hour A&E documentary, Inside Polygamy. Moore Emmett is the recipient of five Utah Excellence in Journalism awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, including a 1st place Don Baker Investigative Reporting Award and a Leading Changes Award from the Utah Professional Chapter of Women in Communications. She serves as President of the Utah Chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW).
