Polyamory

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...