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• So you're polyamorous?

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Relationships, LGBT or otherwise, are not simple, nor are they simply categorized. There are new definitions of relationships appearing in society all the time, although many of them do not receive immediate validation. I won’t use the term “lifestyle choice,” as it tends to be a damaging term. It implies that someone could simply stop being LGBT or polyamorous, the focus of my column this week, if they so choose to do so.

Polyamory is the practice of having more than one intimate relationship (with the consent of everyone involved that is), often of a sexual nature, but not necessarily so. Polyamory is not to be confused with polygamy, as it doesn’t deal with multiple marriages.

It’s estimated that there are about 500,000 polyamorous couples in the U.S. There are a number of polyamorous personals and weeklies that are emerging. There's even an MTV True Life episode that focuses on the subject. In the episode, one couple consists of two females and a male, while the other is comprised of all men. The True Life special focuses largely on the amount of jealously in the relationships. Yet, however different these relationships may seem on the surface, the overriding message of the episode is that the couples wish to show that they care for each other. For some that means recognizing the legitimacy of their relationship through unions or marriage. For others it means being able to raise a child. Care could even simply mean being unafraid to be who you are and just be with the one — or ones — you love. There are risks, but many people in love can take the risks together.