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Polyfidelity is a type ofnon-monogamous relationship in which all members are recognized as equivalent to the other partners and comply to restrict sexual andromantic relationship activities to exclusively only other members within the group.
The practices and beliefs underlying polyfidelity have long existed, but in uncodified fashion. TheOneida Commune of the mid-19th century practicedcomplex marriage, encouraging individual members in the freedom to have multiple ongoing sexual relationships within the community, as an expression of their beliefs and religious faith. This was occasionally referred to as agroup marriage, a term brought back to popular recognition by the 1974 publication ofGroup Marriage: a study of contemporary multilateral marriage byLarry Constantine and Joan Constantine.
The termpolyfidelity was also practiced in the "New Tribe" of theKerista Commune.[1][2][3][4] A utopian community based in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, California active from the 1970s to the early 1990s. The engaged in a specific form of polyamory. Members were required to engage in multi-partner relationships that prioritize equality, and mutual consent. Respecting diversegender identities andsexual orientations. Sexual activity with all members was encouraged while formingexclusive relationships within the group was discouraged.Consensus was essential for incorporating new members in and also respecting the group's foundational agreement.
The broader termpolyamory was coined later.[5] The word "polyamorous" first appeared in an article byMorning Glory Zell-Ravenheart, "A Bouquet of Lovers", published in May 1990 inGreen Egg magazine, as "poly-amorous". In May 1992, Jennifer L. Wesp created theUsenet newsgroup alt.polyamory, and the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) cites the proposal to create that group as the first verified appearance of the word. The wordspolyamory,polyamorous, andpolyamorist were added to the OED in 2006.[6]
A commonly cited advantage of polyfidelity is the ability to have unprotected sex among more than two people while maintaining relative safety regardingSTDs, so long as any new members are sufficientlytested before fluid bonding with the group, and keep their commitments. This would have health advantages similar tomonogamy, although risks rise somewhat with each person added.
Some gain a sense of emotional safety from the relatively closed nature of the poly faithful commitment.
Polyfidelity inherently affords less flexibility than other forms of nonmonogamy. For example,open relationships do not restrict sexual interactions to specific people.
As many polyfidelitous people have transitioned directly from closed monogamy, they can encounter problems in learning to communicate intimately with more than one partner.
People hoping to create or expand a group marriage mention difficulty finding potential partners with enough mutual compatibility to even consider attempting a relationship.
Polyfidelity, like other forms of consensual non-monogamy, can present the challenge of managing jealousy,[8] maintaining clear communication, and ensuring equitable distribution of emotional and practical responsibilities. Successful polyfidelity often requires strong commitment and communication skills among all members.
In the bookLesbian Polyfidelity, authorCeleste West uses the termpolyfidelity in much the same way that others use polyamory. This may represent independent coinage of the same term within a different community, and this usage is not common among polyamorists in general. West uses the term to emphasize the concept (common in polyamory) that one can be faithful to one's commitments without those commitments including sexual exclusivity.