Polyfidelity

<h2 id="origin">Origin</h2>

The practices and beliefs underlying polyfidelity have long existed, but in uncodified fashion. The <a href="/facts/Oneida_Society/ENeD75QK">Oneida Commune</a> of the mid-19th century practiced complex marriage, encouraging individual members in the freedom to have multiple ongoing sexual relationships within the community, as an expression of their beliefs and religious faith. This was occasionally referred to as a <a href="/facts/Group_marriage/bfKRophy">group marriage</a>, a term brought back to popular recognition by the 1974 publication of Group Marriage: a study of contemporary multilateral marriage by <a href="/facts/Larry_Constantine/advmm0KF">Larry Constantine</a> and Joan Constantine.
The term polyfidelity was also practiced in the "New Tribe" of the <a href="/facts/Kerista/VY2wxFuw">Kerista</a> Commune. <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1">1</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2">2</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3">3</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4">4</a> A utopian community based in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, California active from the 1970s to the early 1990s. The engaged in a specific form of polyamory. Members were required to engage in multi-partner relationships that prioritize equality, and mutual consent. Respecting diverse <a href="/facts/Gender/LfjRHcJy">gender</a> identities and <a href="/facts/Sexual_orientation/Rcx5r9UB">sexual orientations</a>. Sexual activity with all members was encouraged while forming <a href="/facts/Monogamy/o0REFnev">exclusive relationships</a> within the group was discouraged. <a href="/facts/Consensus_decision-making/z965PMKc">Consensus</a> was essential for incorporating new members in and also respecting the group's foundational agreement. 
The broader term <a href="/facts/Polyamory/cwSJy9LJ">polyamory</a> was coined later.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5">5</a> The word "polyamorous" first appeared in an article by <a href="/facts/Morning_Glory_Zell-Ravenheart/AAzBxMrH">Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart</a>, "A Bouquet of Lovers", published in May 1990 in Green Egg magazine, as "poly-amorous". In May 1992, Jennifer L. Wesp created the <a href="/facts/Usenet/lYJWFBR6">Usenet</a> newsgroup alt.polyamory, and the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) cites the proposal to create that group as the first verified appearance of the word. The words polyamory, polyamorous, and polyamorist were added to the OED in 2006.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6">6</a>

<h2 id="function">Function</h2>
Polyfidelitous relationships are, like <a href="/facts/Monogamy/o0REFnev">monogamous</a> relationships, closed in the sense that partners agree not to be sexually or romantically intimate with someone not in the relationship. The difference is that more than two people are included in the closed group. New members may generally be added to the group only by unanimous agreement of the existing members, or the group may not be interested in further expansion.
While being a subtype of the more general <a href="/facts/Polyamory/cwSJy9LJ">polyamory</a>, polyfidelity can resemble monogamy in its relationship power dynamics, attitudes towards autonomy, and group consent, as most often polyfidelity develops from an established closed-monogamous couple seeking to add one or more individuals or another couple. In this sense, polyfidelity expands upon standard practices and beliefs of monogamy while still being categorically <a href="/facts/Polyamory/cwSJy9LJ">polyamory</a>.

<h2 id="benefits-and-challenges">Benefits and challenges</h2>

A commonly cited advantage of polyfidelity is the ability to have unprotected sex among more than two people while maintaining relative safety regarding <a href="/facts/Sexually_transmitted_disease/IYL1rxdI">STDs</a>, so long as any new members are sufficiently <a href="/facts/Sexually_transmitted_infection/IYL1rxdI">tested</a> before fluid bonding with the group, and keep their commitments. This would have health advantages similar to <a href="/facts/Monogamy/o0REFnev">monogamy</a>, although risks rise somewhat with each person added.
Some gain a sense of emotional safety from the relatively closed nature of the poly faithful commitment.
Polyfidelity inherently affords less flexibility than other forms of nonmonogamy. For example, <a href="/facts/Open_relationship/NTDdSXAK">open relationships</a> do not restrict sexual interactions to specific people. 
As many polyfidelitous people have transitioned directly from closed monogamy, they can encounter problems in learning to communicate intimately with more than one partner.
People hoping to create or expand a group marriage mention difficulty finding potential partners with enough mutual compatibility to even consider attempting a relationship.
Polyfidelity, like other forms of consensual non-monogamy, can present the challenge of managing jealousy,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7">7</a> maintaining clear communication, and ensuring equitable distribution of emotional and practical responsibilities. Successful polyfidelity often requires strong commitment and communication skills among all members.

<h2 id="other-usage">Other usage</h2>
In the book Lesbian Polyfidelity, author <a href="/facts/Celeste_West/Iabx9USe">Celeste West</a> uses the term polyfidelity in much the same way that others use polyamory. This may represent independent coinage of the same term within a different community, and this usage is not common among polyamorists in general. West uses the term to emphasize the concept (common in polyamory) that one can be faithful to one's commitments without those commitments including sexual exclusivity.

<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Free_love/lrKARIMw">Free love</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Group_marriage/bfKRophy">Group marriage</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Kerista/VY2wxFuw">Kerista</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Non-monogamy/TYLlQLyT">Non-monogamy</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Open_marriage/s7YrYHNQ">Open marriage</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Polyamory/cwSJy9LJ">Polyamory</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="https://www.lovingmorenonprofit.org/home/what-is-polyamory/">Terms and definitions from Loving More non-profit organization</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1">"Kerista Commune Collection An inventory of the collection at Syracuse University". library.syracuse.edu. Retrieved 2024-07-14. <a href="https://library.syracuse.edu/digital/guides/print/kerista_prt.htm" target="_blank">https://library.syracuse.edu/digital/guides/print/kerista_prt.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:2">Miller, Timothy (1999). The 60s communes: hippies and beyond. Syracuse University Press. p. 135. ISBN 978-0-8156-0601-7. Archived from the original on 7 November 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2011. <a href="978-0-8156-0601-7" target="_blank">978-0-8156-0601-7</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:3">Pines, Ayala; Aronson, Elliot (1981). "Polyfidelity: An alternative lifestyle without jealousy?". Journal of Family and Economic Issues. 4 (3): 373–392. doi:10.1007/BF01257945. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:4">"Kerista.commune - The Historical Record". www.kerista.com. Retrieved 2024-07-14. <a href="https://www.kerista.com/" target="_blank">https://www.kerista.com/</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:5">Alan M. (2 November 2012). "A History of Loving More". Loving More. Archived from the original on March 26, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2016. <a href="http://www.lovemore.com/aboutus/history/" target="_blank">http://www.lovemore.com/aboutus/history/</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:6">"September 2006 update". The OED today. Oxford University Press. 14 September 2006. Archived from the original on December 28, 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2016. <a href="http://public.oed.com/the-oed-today/recent-updates-to-the-oed/previous-updates/september-2006-update/" target="_blank">http://public.oed.com/the-oed-today/recent-updates-to-the-oed/previous-updates/september-2006-update/</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:7">Anapol, D (Aug 16, 2010). Polyamory in the 21st Century: Love and Intimacy with Multiple Partners. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISBN 978-1442200234. <a href="978-1442200234" target="_blank">978-1442200234</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
</ol>

Polyfidelity open-in-new

Polyfidelity