Involved in a polyamorous relationship herself, Nicole Lee clears up common misconceptions and breaks down the different types of relationships that fall under the poly umbrella. She invites readers to learn more to combat stigma, judgement and any feelings of shame.

Last weekend, when a friend from my workout group invited me over for dinner, he casually said, “your whole team is invited!” referring to myself, my girlfriend, and my platonic partner. It meant a lot to me because people usually default to inviting a plus one or noting if an event is kid-friendly, but many polyamorous relationships don’t fit into these nuclear family structures.

I consider myself to be a relationship anarchist, which means I challenge conventional ideas about relationship structures and advocate for partnerships that break free from societal norms. For me, romantic relationships are not inherently more important than friendships, and I believe everyone should be free to create their own chosen families outside of the boundaries of marriage and children.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve been learning about different types of polyamorous relationships. I’ve encountered a lot of myths and misinterpretations along the way, so I wanted to offer a broad understanding for anyone who is curious about polyamory, ethnical non-monogamy, or queer platonic partnerships.

The word polyamory comes from the Greek words for ‘many’ (poly) and ‘love’ (amor), meaning the practice of engaging in multiple relationships or ‘many loves’ with the knowledge and consent of everyone involved.