A writer asked Miss Manners how to deal with addressing invitations to members of a poly household or situation in order to not be offensive; her reply is illuminating and, of course, the height of considerate. Follow us on Twitter @mysexprofessor. Follow Jeana, the author of this post, @foxyfolklorist. Continue Reading →
Poly
Recent posts
Polyamory Resources
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and research around non-monogamy and polyamory lately, and wanted to share a few books and resources I’ve found. First, I found this wonderful resource, which is akin to an FAQ for people who are considering polyamory. It’s written by Match.com, so I don’t know if there’s an ulterior motive, but it seems like a very useful resource for people who are questioning their mono-centric culture. Next, my Facebook friend posted this fascinating visual representing the different types of non-monogamy. Because I appreciate visual representations of data, I really enjoyed thinking about all the different intersections that this explored. For those who are confused, it is really like a mutant Venn diagram with many different overlaps. Continue Reading →
Romantic Love, Marital Monogamy, And Swinging
I was lucky enough to attend a lecture at the Kinsey Institute recently, titled “The Tyranny of Two: Are Love and Non-Monogamy Incompatible?” by Curtis R. Bergstrand. What follows is a summary of my hastily-penned notes, which I think are interesting regardless of one’s engagement in swinging, and which are also mostly a plug for Bergstrand’s book Swinging in America: Love, Sex, and Marriage in the 21st Century (because we only really skimmed the surface of Bergstrand’s research in the presentation, and I definitely wanted to know more by the end!). Continue Reading →
Newsweek explores polyamorous relationships
This week in Newsweek, writer Jessica Bennett explores polyamory: the practice of having more than one lover (as opposed to monogamy, which refers to the practice of two people only having each other as lovers/sexual partners). Continue Reading →
MSP Sex Q&A: What are polyamorous relationships like? Can they work?
Question: What are polyamorous relationships like? Can they work? Answer: Strictly speaking, polyamory refers to the practice of having “several lovers”. In practice, people use this term to describe a variety of different sexual and romantic relationship structures including open relationships between two people (in which it is understood that one or both partners may sometimes be sexual with others), swinging, tribes or circles (two terms sometimes used to refer to groups of people who may be sexual with each other, either at the same time or in coupled situations) and other types of structures. Human beings are creative and, as such, there are numerous ways that they may experience openness in their sexual and romantic relationships. Continue Reading →