Mention the concept of polygamy at any “civilized” gathering and you may be able to see the shiver of revulsion spread through the crowd. By substituting the word “polyamory” you will be able to get around this reaction, but only because everyone is staring at you in shocked silence instead. So let's start, as always, with definitions. Polyamory, like polygamy, refers to the state of conducting multiple romantic relationships at the same time; however, there are many distinctions between the terms. The most obvious difference is that polygamy specifies that the participants are all married to each other, while polyamory encompasses a spectrum of relationships ranging from casual to committed. Furthermore, polygamy has its roots in religious and highly patriarchal systems, such as the Abrahamic faiths or the infamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Very clearly, the lifestyle we know today as polyamory arose from the hippie free love movement in the 1960s, with considerably different values. In its modern form, it is a secular alternative lifestyle that is gradually gaining popularity. It is estimated that there are over half a million openly polyamorous families in the United States alone. Despite these impressive numbers, polyamory remains misunderstood and much maligned. Largely because of our unwarranted yet seemingly unshakable belief in the sanctity of monogamy, polygamists often feel enormous pressure to hide their private lives, for fear of losing the respect of friends and family. By creating a stigma around having multiple partners, we as a society are committing nothing less than discrimination. Despite all the arguments its opponents have thrown against the lifestyle, p...... middle of paper ...... in the legal realm is not enough. To make a real difference, we need to change the status quo; we must change our attitudes to be more accepting of alternative ways of conducting intimate relationships. Considering that it doesn't harm love, it doesn't harm children, and it doesn't harm the moral fiber of society, there's no reason why polyamory shouldn't be seen as a perfectly legitimate lifestyle choice. And ultimately the question is this: choice. Polyamory represents the ability to choose who to get involved with and who to entrust your emotional, intellectual, and sexual needs to. This is a freedom that can lead to happier and more fulfilling lives, and therefore it is a freedom that no one has the right to ban. As Trudeau once said: “the state has no place in people's bedrooms,” and neither do other people – unless they are invited in...