PolyAware

09/02/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/19Na4bbwkz/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Dolly was poly!

06/06/2026

The most important element of ENM (Ethical Non-Monogamy) is consent. Some people will agree to terms that are against their boundaries to either compromise within their marriage, or in order to fulfill their own needs, without having to change their present relationship dynamic. This is why communication is essential in relationships, especially those that are under the polyamorous umbrella. Another thing to consider is that people change over time, and so do their values, boundaries, and needs.

In this article, they address the perspective of a female partner opening up the relationship. This is a very unique perspective since many of the resources I've read talk about the male partner opening the relationship. Keep in mind this article was written from a heteronormative perspective, and that we welcome people of all identities. The situation described may be applied to any relationship, regardless of the gender identity or sexual orientation of the individuals involved.

-Angel

Excerpt from the author of this article:

She was surprised by the guilt that followed. “Being the one who wanted this, who was dating while my husband wasn’t, triggered so much shame. I also didn’t expect how hard it would be to ask for what I wanted or admit disappointment.

02/16/2026

I take pride in advocating for regular testing and recently heard there is a std going around Minnesota that is similar to ring worm (https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/ep/han/2026/feb11tmvii.pdf). Please protect yourself, assess risks, and don't be ashamed to get tested regularly. Planned Parenthood in Moorhead is a poly friendly resource to get STD testing and they have a sliding fee scale to help those with limited income.

It's also very important to have communication with your partners about rules relating to engaging in in*******se, whether it pertains to barrier use, birth control/planned parenting, or other boundaries. This was a very challenging discourse in past relationships for me personally after feeling pressured to agree to terms that affected secure attachment and invoked feelings of jealousy.

Communicating with your partner(s) is crucial to ensure everyone involved is aware of risks. When I first express interest with someone (wether they are a long term, casual, or single encounter) I like to discuss this subject similar to how we practiced with elevator speeches and am including a link to one of my favorite websites (solopoly) to help provide education on how to navigate this type of discourse.

~Angel
https://solopoly.net/2012/08/29/talking-about-safer-sex-the-elevator-pitch/ #:~:text=When%20were%20you%20last%20tested,and%20how%20they%20say%20it%E2%80%A6

01/20/2026

Encountered this the other day and thought some folks may find it helpful. I don't love how it's categorized, because I and many other folks in ENM do not consider anything in the column on the right to be polyamory, but maybe that's just semantics.

11/05/2025

Ohh, ohh! This is one of our local polyam/ENM folks! Represent!

Ashton grew up in a super conservative and religious home, didn't date in high school, and had her first kiss when she was 18... But that was then. Things are a bit different now! Ashton is now in her forties and has been practicing polyamory and non-monogamy for about 15 years. As she describes it,...

10/18/2025

So... much change has been afoot in the polyam/ENM community in Fargo-Moorhead! We created a Discord server, and it has exploded with over 50 members in the first week. It is starting to cool down a little bit, now, so we wanted to extend an invitation: if you...
1) self-identify as polyamorous, relationship anarchist, or some other branch of ethically non-monogamous, AND
2) you either live within an hour or so of the FM area or travel here at least a few times a year,

Feel free to DM *on Discord* for an invitation link. We are doing that instead of posting the link here because we just want to chat a bit about identification and background, then discuss rules so that members are somewhat vetted.

09/22/2025

Y'all, someone, please: what is going on with Pride Collective and Community Center right now? I have left like six voicemails in as many months.... Is the venue just not an option right now?

ETA: We got connected! Yaay! 🎉

09/18/2025

Hey, folks! If you identify as any stripe of ethically non-monogamous (swinging, monogamish, polyfidelit...ous?, RA, etc.) you are invited to participate in a study related to support and welbeing hosted by OPEN, the Organization for Polyamory and Ethical Non-Monogamy. Estimated completion time is 25-30 minutes.

OPEN link: https://www.open-love.org/join

Survey link: https://chapmanu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3qvDjh6xlTrjEZE?Source=participant

The 2025 OPEN Survey.

08/06/2025

Hi, I would like to share this article with others who also identify as "open", "poly", or Ethical non-monogamous (ENM). When I joined the polyamorous community nearly a decade ago, one thing I noticed was that several members were either divorced or had left the group after their primary relationship ended, blaming polyamory as the culprit of creating conflict. I believe that opening communication and discussing boundaries may have led these individuals to evaluate their needs, resulting in the anchor (primary) relationship ending. When in fact, the exploration may have offered them the opportunity to grow.

I love the way they discuss life as a "choose your own adventure" in this article, as well as the retrospective analysis of what led to the changes in their relationships. Polyamory (also known as ethical non-monogamy) relies on the trust of those involved, communication, and, most of all, is an opportunity to reflect on your own happiness. I cannot speak for how polyamory has impacted other founding and active members of this group, but I can say that polyamory has helped bring out both the best and worst in myself and my relationships.

These "shifts" can be like the tide, sometimes calm and soothing, and others destructive. I'm not proud of how I hurt people due to fear and insecurities, especially challenges with mental health, and those whom I distanced myself from when my anchor relationship began to deteriorate. I have many fond memories of the time when Polyamory was new and exciting, and much heartbreak from the relationships that ended due to limitations of my growth and that of my partners, and in many circumstances, their partners (metamours) also. But in the end, I am grateful for the opportunity to explore freely, and that has been a cornerstone to creating a life with healthy attachment, love, and happiness.

"And my advice, in the end? The best way to feel secure, content, and create a life full of intimacy and joy is this: choose your own adventure, and don’t be afraid to let it change you along the way."

As a new study reveals that those in non-exclusive relationships are just as happy as monogamous couples - for some, this is old news

11/22/2024

Hey, y'all. Wanna meet with ENM folks for some purpose or another? I have a few questions:

1) Where?
2) Would you like specific topics or just open/unstructured?
3) What would your primary purposes be for meeting? Support, education/information, networking, dating pool expansion, etc.?