Method

Polyamory

Overview

Polyamory (from Ancient Greek πολύς (polús) 'many' and Latin amor 'love') is the practice or support of, maintaining committed, romantic, and/or sexual relationships with more than one partner, in parallel or concurrently, with the consent of all involved partners. Polyamory allows for ethical-non-monogamy (ENM), which is a subset of the broader consensual non-monogamy. Many people who identify as polyamorous believe in a conscious management of jealousy and reject the view that sexual and relational exclusivity (monogamy) are prerequisites for deep, committed, long-term, loving relationships. When members of a closed polyamorous relationship restrict their sexual activity to only members of that group, that is commonly referred to as polyfidelity.

Polyamory has been used as an umbrella term for various forms of non-monogamous, multi-partner relationships, or non-exclusive sexual or romantic relationships. Identifying with polyamory reflects the choices and philosophies of the individuals involved, but with recurring themes or values; such as love, intimacy, honesty, integrity, equality, communication, and commitment. It can often be distinguished from some other forms of ethical non-monogamy in that the relationships involved are loving intimate relationships, as opposed to purely sexual relationships.

The term polyamory was coined in 1990 and listed by the Oxford English Dictionary in 2006. It is not typically considered part of the LGBTQ umbrella. Courts and cities in Canada and the U.S. are increasingly recognizing polyamorous families, granting legal parentage to multiple adults and extending protections to multi-partner relationships. While still uncommon, about 4% of people practice polyamory, and up to 17% are open to it. While mainstream Christianity and Judaism generally reject polyamory, some religious groups, including the Oneida Community, certain rabbis and Jewish communities, LaVeyan Satanists, and Unitarian Universalists, have accepted or supported polyamorous relationships. In clinical settings, therapists are encouraged to recognize diverse relationship structures such as polyamory, address biases toward monogamy, and utilize specialized resources to support polyamorous clients.

From the 1970s onward, polyamory has been depicted in various media, including Isaac Asimov’s works, DC Comics’ Starfire, The Wheel of Time series, Futurama, and numerous 21st-century television shows and novels. Polyamory-related observances include Metamour Day on February 28, Polyamory Pride Day during Pride Month, International Solo Polyamory Day on September 24, and Polyamory Day on November 23, with polyamory groups often participating in pride parades. Worldwide nonprofits like Loving More and others advocate for polyamory rights, acceptance, and education. Critics argue that polyamory is not inherently radical, often reflects privilege, and may have negative social impacts. Notable individuals publicly identifying as polyamorous include authors Dossie Easton, Janet Hardy, and Laurell K. Hamilton; filmmaker Terisa Greenan; activist Brenda Howard, musician Willow Smith and journalist Quinn Norton.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).

Possible passages

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The elder one, having no mother, who is called the heavenly Aphrodite--she is the daughter of Uranus; the younger, who is the daughter of Zeus and Dione--her we call common; and the Love who is her fellow-worker is rightly named common, as the other love is called heavenly. All the gods ought to have praise given to them, but not without distinction of their natures; and therefore I must try to distinguish the…
Plato, Symposium
States what Polyamory is; the author is tied to Polyamory in the knowledge graph.
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When opinion by the help of reason leads us to the best, the conquering principle is called temperance; but when desire, which is devoid of reason, rules in us and drags us to pleasure, that power of misrule is called excess. Now excess has many names, and many members, and many forms, and any of these forms when very marked gives a name, neither honourable nor creditable, to the bearer of the name. The desire of…
Plato, Phaedrus
States what Polyamory is; the author is tied to Polyamory in the knowledge graph.
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The casual and undifferentiated way in which the word ‘love’ is employed by language has its genetic justification. In general usage the relation between a man and a woman whose genital desires have led them to found a family is called love; but the positive attitude of feeling between parents and children, between brothers and sisters in a family, is also called love, although to us this relation merits the…
Sigmund Freud, Civilization and its discontents
States what Polyamory is.
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Polyamory

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