Relationship structures don't have to follow a script. Whether you're monogamous, polyamorous, or somewhere in between, you can intentionally design all your relationships to fit exactly who's in them. But what does that actually look like in practice?

In this episode, we welcome Annie Undone, a non-binary queer writer whose journey through various relationship styles offers powerful insights into relating. Annie shares their evolution from monogamy to polyamory to relationship anarchy, demonstrating how deconstructing societal expectations can lead to more authentic relationships across all domains of life.

We dive deep into what relationship anarchy truly means (spoiler: it's not just about romantic relationships!) and how this framework can benefit everyone—polyamorous or not—by challenging the assumptions we've internalized about how relationships "should" work.

In this episode, we talk about:

— Annie's personal journey from monogamy through polyamory to relationship anarchy

— The simple yet profound definition of relationship anarchy

— How to deconstruct heteronormativity and mononormativity in your relationships

— Why relationship anarchy can be beneficial even for monogamous couples

— The importance of asking "Do I want this, or do I think I should want this?" when examining relationship expectations

— How mononormativity can sneak back in even when we think we've moved beyond it

— The value of intergenerational relationships and challenging ageism in our communities

— Why coming out to family members about non-monogamy might be less complicated than you fear

— The challenges of perfectionism in polyamorous communities

— How relationship anarchy creates space for aromantic and asexual people in non-monogamous communities

— Why symmetry in relationships isn't always the goal (and can sometimes be inherently unfair)

— The ongoing nature of relationship deconstruction as a lifelong process

Resources mentioned in this episode:

— Annie’s Instagram

— Annie's Patreon

— Annie's new e-book, On Polyamory

— Book a one-to-one peer support session with Annie

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Music: Dance of Felt by ⁠Blue Dot Sessions