With celebrity revelations of their open relationships, communication fostered by the internet, and the natural evolution of society, polyamory is becoming more and more mainstream.
While group marriage and communes of the 60s and the 70s were fleetingly in vogue in the wake of the sexual revolution, the AIDS crisis of the 80s and the fears associated with it drove the movement underground. Sexual activities that could be deemed “promiscuous” were suddenly made out to be socially unacceptable and reckless. Although using condoms 100% of the time was and is highly effective at stopping the spread of HIV, the panic of those early days has had a societal hangover effect.
The maturation of societal morays in the 21st century, fostered to a great extent through the digital revolution, has seen rapid changes in the mindset of the public. These days, the polyamorous have so many opportunities to share their positive experiences: communicating through message boards and polyamorous dating sites to show just how normal, healthy, and fulfilling the lifestyle can be.
The internet has buoyed this second-wave sexual revolution, pushing the GLBT rights movement along with a whole host of non-traditional notions of more flexible and dynamic relationship roles.
We are truly in a brave new world, and whether its yet another Hollywood star revealing their open relationship, or an article from a major news organization reporting on the wonderfully complex lives of polyamorist “regular people,” it’s undeniable that open relationships are becoming a socially accepted fact of modern life.
Do you consider open relationships mainstream?
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