polycule

People are very into polycules these days: groups of people who live together and shag each other.

Marriage doesn’t work (just ask Bill and Melinda) – so let me present some alternatives | Hadley Freeman Hadley Freeman 2021

The word “polycule” is a synthesis of polyamory — engaging in multiple romantic relationships — and molecule. It’s not clear when the word was coined, but it seems to have started catching on around 15 years ago to suggest an intricate structure formed of people with overlapping deep attachments: romantic, sexual, sensual, platonic. It’s difficult to describe a polycule. Words like “family” and “network” are used, but neither on its own captures it. Perhaps it’s best left to a polycule itself to offer descriptions. These are the voices and images of people who are part of a polycule in the Boston area.

Lessons From a 20-Person Polycule Interviews by Daniel BergnerPhotographs by Anne Vetter 2024