Polyamorous

The practice of engaging in multiple romantic and/or sexual relationships simultaneously, with the knowledge and full consent of all parties involved.

Definition

The practice of engaging in multiple romantic and/or sexual relationships simultaneously, with the knowledge and full consent of all parties involved. Polyamory is a relationship structure - not a sexual orientation. Polyamorous people can be of any gender identity or sexual orientation.

Flag

Polyamorous flag · Designer: Jim Evans · Late summer/early fall 1995

Three equal horizontal stripes, blue, red, and black, with a gold Greek letter pi (π) centered on the red stripe. Made by Jim Evans in Microsoft Paint on Windows 3.1 and released into the public domain.

Stripe	HEX	RGB	CMYK	Pantone	Meaning
Top stripe	`#0000FF`	0,0,255	C:100 M:100 Y:0 K:0	n/a	Openness and honesty among all partners
Middle stripe	`#FF0000`	255,0,0	C:0 M:100 Y:100 K:0	n/a	Love and passion
Bottom stripe	`#000000`	0,0,0	C:0 M:0 Y:0 K:100	n/a	Solidarity with those who must hide their relationships
Pi symbol	`#FFFF00`	255,255,0	C:0 M:0 Y:100 K:0	n/a	Value of emotional attachment to others

Full flag history →

Etymology

Greek poly- (many) + Latin amor (love). Coined by Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart in 1990 in the essay "A Bouquet of Lovers", published in the Green Egg pagan journal.

History

Multi-partner relationships exist throughout human history; modern polyamory emphasizes consensual, ethical non-monogamy with emotional honesty
1990 - Term "polyamory" coined by Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart
1997 - The Ethical Slut by Dossie Easton and Janet Hardy published
1995 - Jim Evans designs the first polyamory flag
November 23, 2022 (Polyamory Day) - Red Howell's redesign wins a community vote of 30,827 participants

Common myths

"Polyamory is just an excuse to cheat." Polyamory is defined by explicit consent and honesty. Cheating involves deception - the opposite.
"Polyamorous people can't love deeply." Love is not a finite resource. Many polyamorous people describe their relationships as profoundly committed.