Season 3 Episode 8: Labels

"You're nesting- like little birds!"

Laura this week examines labels for relationships (rather than labels for self-identity) and how they reflect our narratives of relationship and self, and what those have to do with how we identify our polyamorous relationships in particular versus monogamous relationships and relationship escalator style relating. What does it mean to be a partner? What terms do we use for our partners? Are we lovers? boy/girl/joyfriends? Something different?

One of the points she examines is the use of connotation in language - primary partner vs. nesting partner, vs. anchor partner as an example - what the differences and similarities of some of these terms are and why one might use one over another. She also examines how hierarchy, non-hierarchy, and relationship anarchy interact in this space and how language and labels for those types of relationships and expression of the emotional state of people in these relationships feed in.

All of these ideas are concepts that are being parsed out in individual relationships every day, and that are mentioned in passing on the blog but seldom the center of a piece. Some posts that touch on them are:

https://www.readyforpolyamory.com/post/the-relationship-escalator
https://www.readyforpolyamory.com/post/defining-if-it-works-out
https://www.readyforpolyamory.com/post/kitchen-table-and-parallel-polyamory-part-4-kitchen-table-polyamory
https://www.readyforpolyamory.com/post/polyamorous-experts-or-why-i-don-t-call-myself-that
https://www.readyforpolyamory.com/post/relationship-anarchy-applied-friends-with-benefits-and-play-partners

I'll try to get something written that synthesizes my points a bit more concisely and add it when it's ready, but for now, those are what we've got.

As always, our music is provided by the talented Vince Conaway who you can find at www.vinceconaway.com; the blog is at www.readyforpolyamory.com, the Patreon at patreon.com/readyforpolyamory; the ko-fi at www.ko-fi.com/readyforpolyamory; you can join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/readyforpolyamory, I'm on twitter @lauracb88 and instagram @readyforpolyamory.