TED talk with Dr. Meg Barker: rewriting the rules

Dr. Meg Barker is a writer, academic, therapist, and activist in the area of sex and relationships. They are a senior lecturer in psychology at the Open University and have published many academic books and papers, including The Bisexuality Report and Rewriting the Rules: An Integrative Guide to Love, Sex and Relationships.

Barker was asked to speak at TEDxBrighton, a local, self-organized event featuring live speakers. Barker's talk at TEDxBrighton was based off their book, Rewriting the Rules, so it is focused on ways we can re-examine our ideas about modern relationships. Check it out!

Find out more about Dr. Meg Barker on their Twitter account and blog.

Gay and poly in Manhattan

A gay triad is the subject of a new short documentary from producers Nilo Tabrizy and Suvro Banerji. Entitled Polyamorous Relationships in New York City, the 6-minute film profiles a closed triad of three men living in Manhattan (and squeezing into a queen-sized bed, no less!). The men have been together for two years, after married couple Franco and Mark met and fell in love with Vinny.

The documentary features footage of the men at home and around New York City, interviews with the triad about the multiple layers to their relationship, and an interview with research scientist Gilles Herrada.

A text description of the documentary, with many quotes, can be found on Out. Gay.net also wrote about the documentary, explaining why there's a rift in the LGBT community when it comes to relationships like this one:

Some gays are simply uncomfortable with this notion -- much like many heterosexuals -- and either don't understand the concept or simply reject it. Others in the LGBT community get angered when they hear about these relationships, thinking it's politically bad for gay people and reinforces stereotypes that we're a deviant subculture. Still other gay men have a "live and let live" philosophy towards polyamory, or feel that because we're already considered outsiders and sexual outlaws in mainstream society that we have the right and responsibility to not play by society's rules.