Welcome to the polyamory community on Hexbear! Please stand by as we figure things out.

If you have ideas on things we can do to build engagement in the community, help provide a framework for safety in the community, or any other ideas that you think would contribute positively to the community, please post them here so we can get things going and ensure that this community is a healthy and postive one for everyone. Thank you! hexbear-polyam

  • bigboopballs [he/him]
    ·
    11 months ago

    Asking people to refer to polyamory in shorthand as "polyam" instead of "poly", mostly because "poly" is ambiguous but "polyam" is not.

    how is it ambiguous?

    • TankieCatgirl [she/her, comrade/them]
      ·
      11 months ago

      Because poly can also refer to Polynesian, but I've also heard from a Polynesian friend that they don't actually care and it's just white people making up things to be offended about on PoC people's behalf, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

      • Infamousblt [any]M
        ·
        11 months ago

        Yep this basically. I'm a anti-cracker-aktion and it's one of those things that its easier to err on the side of trying to be less ambiguous because I have heard it both ways, that we're being colonialist imperialists pigs for saying "poly" when we mean polyamorous, and also that nobody cares and we're being ridiculous and making up problems that don't exist by trying to disambiguate. Part of trying to listen to the needs of other communities and trying to do better. I definitely don't have the right answer so it's an interesting topic.

        For me its an easy change to make and if it reduces harm for someone, anyone, anywhere, then it's a change worth doing. If the Polynesian community at large comes out and says someday like "hey polyam people we'd love to share "poly" with you" then okay I guess that's fine. Until that thing that won't ever happen happens I'm happy to push for polyam.

        • xj9 [they/them, she/her]
          ·
          11 months ago

          well for one, its not like "polynesia" is a term that was created by the locals. all of the pasifika folks that i know identify with their specific ethnicity, not the western regional term. i do think polyam is less ambiguous for what its worth.