Have you completed the polyamory and marriage survey?

Saturday, March 31 is the deadline for participation in the Loving More sponsored polyamory and marriage survey, which means there are less than two weeks left to submit you answers. The survey is meant to gauge how polyamorous people feel about marriage.

The survey is fairly brief and all responses will be kept confidential. No individually identifying information will be collected.

Take the survey here!

Video tips for successful non-monogamy

Marcia Baczynski, open relationship coach and co-creator of Cuddle Party,  has launched a website and series of videos featuring tips for successful non-monogamy. Baczynski has been working with open and poly folks for 8 years, so she has seen patterns, success stories, and missteps in her clients' relationships.

The first video, which is live on Baczynski's website, is about the three things that successful open relationships have in common. The following videos -- which can be accessed by submitting a name and email address -- detail the common mistakes that couples make when opening up their relationships, and how to avoid them.

Baczynski is holding a free teleclass on Thursday, March 22nd to answer viewer questions. She can also be found on Twitter.

Alan M. on where polyamory’s headed

Alan M. of Poly in the Media gave the keynote speech at the Poly Living 2012 conference in Philadelphia, and the full text is available on Alan's blog. Entitled "Busting Loose: Polyamory in the Next Five Years," Alan's speech details all the recent wins for the poly community, citing positive news stories as indicative of a shift in the public perception and media portrayal of poly folks.

For instance: Unlike in previous cheating-politician scandals... (laughter)... the Newt Gingrich open-marriage episode two weeks ago became a vehicle for major media attention to good open and poly relationships, contrasting with how Gingrich did it . . . Representatives for poly done well are suddenly in demand to I think an unprecedented degree.

. . . Our own presenters Anita and Tim Illig and Michael Rios and Sarah Taub here this weekend were riding this wave last night on the Channel Seven news in DC, representing us and our values just beautifully.

. . . Other milestones in the last month or so: In the space of one week, we saw poly triad families, each with a kid, profiled positively on ABC's Morning Edition, Nightline, and the National Geographic Channel. More and more of the public is getting acquainted with what multi-partner families actually look like. We are becoming more familiar; on the way to being normalized.

That same week, we also saw a broadcast-TV drama, ABC's "Private Practice," present a fictional polyamorous triad family — explicitly called that by name, so viewers would be sure to get it -- treated so well, and at such length, that it reminded me of the first breakthrough shows treating gay characters with understanding and respect.

. . . we've by and large successfully represented the modern polyamory movement to the public as what we know ourselves to be: ethical people who care deeply about good relationships -- smart, verbal, interesting, friendly people -- nonthreatening and respectful of all well-considered relationship choices, monogamy included — and by and large just kind of adorable. Every year we are better entrenching this public image, firming up our defense against future moral panics.

Alan's keynote goes on to explain how poly culture could influence the direction and survival of Western civilization 150-200 years from now. In all, it's a refreshingly optimistic speech. Read the whole thing here.

Opening up as a gay male couple

"The Gay Male Couple's Guide to Nonmonogamy" is an article from The Advocate about gay men in open relationships, with tips on how to open a relationship and maintain happiness within it. The piece begins with interviews with several couples whose relationships were monogamous for many years before the men decided to open them up.

The article's focus is on solid primary relationships and agreed-upon sex outside the relationship. Therapists, a psychologist, and a psychiatrist give their input on what couples can do to ensure success with an open relationship of this type. Not surprisingly, their advice centers around honest communication and established boundaries.

Despite the perils it presents, nonmonogamy can be a source of great satisfaction. "I've actually seen many couples develop more compassion and trust in the course of the relationship when they are open and clear that they really want each other to be free, honest, and happy," says [clinical psychologist] Huber. "Sex is a very powerful, vital source of joy when explored deeply."

Read the rest on The AdvocateThe second page of the article features a checklist of things to talk about before opening your relationship.