Foundation for Sex Positive Culture presents: Polyamory
What is it? Is it for me? How can I do this successfully?

Polyamory is often described as consensual and ethical relationships that are not sexually exclusive, with an emphasis on honesty, trust, and transparency among all stakeholders. In this workshop we'll talk about the history of polyamory, the advantages that many people see in this, challenges that can arise, approaches and tools that can be helpful in making it all work, and some safe and supportive ways to see if this is for you.

Like monogamy or any other kind of relationship, poly relationships focus on finding ways so everyone in the relationship feels happy, safe, included, and satisfied. Poly relationships are typically built on values of trust, loyalty, and honest negotiation of a win-win for everyone. Past that, poly relationships are highly varied; poly people define for themselves how they want their particular relationship to go. As the saying goes, there are as many ways to do polyamory as there are people who do it. (This is, of course, true for monogamous relationships as well.)

So in the end, polyamory isn't about how many relationships are active at any moment, and not at all about sex. Rather, it's about knowing that each person has the right to choose whatever sexual/relationship structure works best for that person (in honest communication with all other stakeholders). So polyamory is really about living your own life your own way. But so are lots of things - women's rights, LGBT struggles, issues around race and class, and much more. So in the end polyamory is really just an example or special case of something much larger: self-determination. The right to decide for yourself how you want to live is a classic American ideal. Thinking about polyamory this way avoids distracting question of sex and who does what with who, and creates openings to connect with others dealing with self-determination issues in their own communities. This helps create broader, less charged, and more productive conversations.

Come join us as we talk about the option of polyamory and whether this approach might enhance and deepen your own relationship life.

Cost at the door: $25 each.

About the Educator:

Barry and Cathy Smiler have been presenters and organizers in polyamory and related communities for many years, on both the east and west coast. They are both members of the global Polyamory Leadership Network, former organizers of East Bay Poly in California, and served on the final Board of Directors of the Chesapeake Polyamory Network. Ex-Californians, they now live in Maryland, where they lead and produce events for the polyamory and related communities through BmorePoly, which is the largest and most active such group in the Mid-Atlantic. BmorePoly has over two thousand members, offers over 50 events every month throughout the DC/MD/VA area, and appreciates the common ground of practices drawn from a wide range of sex-positive and progressive traditions and communities, including BDSM, swing lifestyle, LGBT, polyamory, personal growth, political activism, intimacy, tantra, sacred sexuality, community organizing, massage, pagans, nudists, and other explorations of alternatives. They can be reached at info@bmorepoly.org

This event is presented by the Foundation for Sex Positive Culture. Please go to TheFSPC.org for more information.

This event is sponsored by the Center for Sex Positive Culture.