Polyamory
FAQ
This list of terms is being updated constantly. Keep yourself educated:
What is Polyamory?
The term polyamory needs some explanations. There are some common assumptions about polyamory, that just get it really, really wrong!
Polyamory is not:
Cheating,
only about sex,
against monogamy,
an open relationship.
Polyamory is:
Ethical nonmonogamy,
a condition of heart,
allowing you to love more than one,
entering more than one romantic relationship.
Polyamory
Polyamory is the practice of having more than one romantic relationship in an ethical manner. That means that all partners and relationships are aware about each other and agree to coexist. This makes the huge difference between cheating and polyamory. Sex is often part of a relationship, but doesn’t have to be a part of it. There are polyamorous constellations between A-sexual partners and there are polyamorous relationships with partners loving each other emotionally but not having sexual attraction towards each other. In opposite to an open relationship polyamorous relationships are therefore primary about emotions.
The relationships can be formed together with multiple people where every person loves each other (e.g. triangle triads or unicorn quads or poly communities) or where all relationships are separate (V-constellations or chain polycules). Polyamorous relationships can be formed between people of all sexes and genders and with endless amounts of relationships.
People that enter polyamorous relationships are called polyamorous. Polyamorous people don’t have to have a current relationship to feel polyamorous.
Polygamy
Polygamy is the marriage of more than 2 people. We differentiate different types of polygamy, depending on which gender is included. If there is 1 woman and 2 men we call the marriage polyandry. If there are 2 women and 1 men we call it polygyny.
Unfortunately polygamy is not legal in most countries all over the world. More details on that will follow in a blog article soon.
Triads, throuples, threelationships
Triads, throuples, threelationships and trisals are all synonyms for polyamorous relationships that exist of 3 people.
You can distinguish triads into triads having a triangle- or a V-constellation.
V- and triangle-constellations
Triads can be formed from V- and triangle-constellations. These terms are related to the states of relationships between the 3 people.
In a triangle-constellation the partners are symbolized by the corners A, B and C of a triangle. The lines of the triangle show that all the relationships are bound together, meaning that A is with B, B is with C and C is with A.
In a V-constellation there is a centerpiece B in the middle which is in a relationship with A and C, while A and C are not in a relationship.
A common mistake is to think of the terms as explanations of intimacy within a polyamorous relationship. Polyamory is not defined by sexual relationships but by romantic relationships. Therefore, the intimacy of a polyamorous relationship can be seen as a V-constellation while emotionally the throuple considers themselves as a triangle.
To be continued…
There are so many more terms: polygamy, bigamy, open relationships, quads, cules, chains, polyamorous, boundaries, jealousy, ethical nonmonogamy, relationship anarchy, …
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