What is Relationship Anarchy?

Relationship Anarchy (RA) is something of a new entrant to the non monogamy space. To oversimplify it, RA is basically the art of fucking off labels. Someone practicing RA might have several close friends with whom they also happen to have sex, and two people they don’t have sex with but have intense emotional connections, and someone they live with and have sex with, but aren’t in a romantic relationship with; and none of these relationships necessarily have a label.

RA is the practice of letting each relationship be what it’s going to be without the need to put pre-conceived social structures around it, and remaining open to changes and transitions within the relationship dynamic.

Rather than the need to define a relationship with someone as “friends with benefits” or “significant other” people practicing RA can simply let the relationship grow into whatever it can be over time. This means that you're not putting expectations or demands on other people. Rather than going on a date with the goal of looking for "the one" you just go out to meet a person and see what happens. They might end up being the love of your life, or they might end up being a great friend, or a casual acquaintance, or a top notch housemate, or whatever! But you're not asking anything from them, or them from you. You're letting things happen organically.