About Us
ABOUT US
Western Mass Polyamory is an all-inclusive social group for those in Western Mass (and the surrounding areas) who identify as polyamorous, practice ethical non-monogamy, or consider themselves poly-friendly. Everyone is welcome regardless of gender, sexual preference, race, religion, economic factors, or body ability.
What is polyamory?
As defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary, polyamory is “the state or practice of having more than one open romantic relationship at a time.” However, many people who identify as polyamorous have clarified that while polyamory can be about romance or sex, that doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be. The root word “poly” comes from Greek, and means “many,” while “amorous” derives from the Latin word for love — so at its core, polyamory simply means to have many loves or to practice loving many people.
Is this a dating group?
It is not. This is a group for making friends and doing fun activities together within the polyam community. We aim to cultivate a relaxed and safe atmosphere! If you’re primarily looking for hookups, this is not the right group for you. If you’re looking to make friends, have fun, and meet people in the community who you might just hit it off with, on the other hand, who knows?
I’m not polyamorous but my partner is….OR… I don’t know if I’m polyamorous, but I want to learn more .
Yes and Yes! We welcome and support non-polyamorous partners too! And we also welcome those who want to learn more about ethical non-monogamy as well. Bring us your questions, we’re here to help.
What kind of events do you have?
We have had family-friendly picnics, craft nights, discussion groups, hikes, rafting trips, pub nights, game nights and sometimes we meet up for group dinners. We have marched in the Northampton Pride Parade and participated in the first Chicopee Pride.
Do I have to be a member to attend events?
The events posted here on our website are open to the public, however, most of our events are for members. If you want to be involved in our online community, we offer 2 online forums, one on Slack and the other a secret Facebook group (to protect the identity of our members who are not out as polyamorous.) We ask that you respect others, that what is said in the group, stays in the group and don’t slide into someone’s DMs unless you have their consent.
How long has this group been around?
We don’t know the founding date of Western Mass Polyamory, but we’ve been around for a while. The first polyamory conference ever was held in Western Mass in the mid 90’s. We know that monthly munches were being held at a diner in Hadley. During the early 2000’s, the group was loosely connected with UMass-Amherst. In 2017, we were meeting monthly as a discussion group, when several of us decided to step up and get some events going. We took a long break in 2020 due to the pandemic, but we are now planning events again.