What’s your relationship label?

Every modern relationship, especially if it involves sexual intimacy, has a label attached to it. What’s your relationship label?

Having a label put on your relationship is not a must, but it can really help you have a clear image if you and your partner are on the same path and see your relationship in the same way.

Why is there a need for a label? Because when sex is involved, relationships can take multiple forms, from monogamy, polyamory, open relationships, serial monogamy, long term relationships or friends with benefits.

A monogamous relationship means that the two partners have a mutual agreement that they will not engage in sexual activities with anyone else while they are in the relationship. For achieving absolute monogamy there’s another aspect that should also be considered, and that is emotional cheating – when you have a friend of the opposite sex that offers you comfort, listens and laughs and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, this is also considered as a way to cheat on your partner.

Monogamous relationships revolve around a single word: exclusivity! So, if you offer and receive full exclusivity on your life, your intimacy, your emotions, and your thoughts, you can say you are a monogamous partner.

Non-monogamous or open relationships

There are plenty of types of non-monogamous relationships, all depending on the type of agreement between the partners involved.

When we are talking about non-monogamous relationships in married couples, we talk about swinging and open marriages.

Usually when we see someone that has the words “open minded” next to his/her relationship status, that is a clear indicator of a non-monogamous person.

Poligamy vs Poliamory

Polygamy appears when we have a household where there is more than one legally married spouse.

Polyamory has a main couple that is legally married while the other partners involved are not legally bound to the primary partners, also known as the nesting partners. Polyamorous couples have several romantic or sexual relationships at the same time.

• In some polyamorous relationships there can be one main partner that acts as a pivot. This pivot is the one that has a sexual relationship with two or more partners while these partners have no connection with one another.
• In other polyamorous relationships, all partners are involved with each other.
• When all partners involved in a polyamorous relationship are friendly towards each other and have a good connection, that group has a kitchen table polyamory.
• Some polyamorous relationships have a set structure, where there are primary and secondary partners.
• Other polyamorous relationships have a more homogenous approach, where all partners are living together, raising the children.

As you can see, there are many labels that you can put on a relationship, the most important thing is to talk openly about your own boundaries and expectations, and discuss all potential changes in the group dynamic in advance, so that there can be a mutual agreement and understanding.