Gay marriage is so last decade; polyamory is in, newspaper says
Wednesday, January 06 2010 06:08 | By Ginger Q. Lawless

This news isn’t going to go over well at Focus on the Family: the new way to live the dream, perhaps, is polyamory, which means “many loves.” Those who practice it have multiple lovers and “poly” as it’s also called, has a very full spectrum of possibility. You might have a couple in a primary relationship who then have one or more secondary relationships. There’s also polyfidelity, in which three or more people are mutually exclusive. There are also love circles where the possibilities are endless.

It sounds like a racy topic, but it is mainstream enough to have recently been featured in The Boston Globe.

What makes polyamory different from cheating boils down to the C-word (no, not that one): Consent. Each and every member of a polyamorous chain, whether with three links or thirty, knows about everyone else.

Still, basic human emotions such as jealousy and abandonment fears still can come up. Responsible non-monogamous partnerships take note from Dossie Easton, a therapist who co-wrote the poly bible, “The Ethical Slut: A Practical Guide to Polyamory, Open Relationships and Other Adventures.”

“Most of us will have to deal with challenging emotional responses to new experiences as we move into more openness in our relationships, and work to find ease and security beyond guarantees of love based on sexual exclusivity,” says Easton.