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By Mihar Dias (C) Copyright January 2024
In the 1960s, my college experience on Long Island, New York, shattered my traditional views on relationships, as polyamorous lifestyles gained traction amidst the counterculture and sexual liberation movements of the era. It was certainly a shocking experience, to say the least.
Dormitories became co-ed, orgies were commonplace, and swinging parties took centre stage in the campus and the New York society. But leaving me mostly bewildered.
Growing up in the conservative rural town of Alor Setar, I grasped polygamy but not polyamory. The latter was alien to me culturally and religious wise
The 1960s in New York introduced me to a world of "kitchen table polyamory," fostering family-like bonds within a web of relationships, known as a "polycule."
People involved would exchange partners the night before but could sit down for breakfast together the morning after without feeling any sense of guilt. They told me it was an open marriage lifestyle that polyamorous relationships encouraged.
Questioning the distinctions between polyamory, polygamy, and open relationships led me to discover that polyamory involves consensual engagement with multiple partners, emphasizing emotional and sexual connections.
Hollywood, with figures like Willow Smith, has played a role in popularizing polyamory in recent years.
Polyamory, coined in the late 20th century, denotes "multiple loves" and differs from polygamy, associated with religious practices.
Returning to Malaysia, I embraced monogamy, unlike many from my New York circle who faced divorce, AIDS, and other challenges. Some say their lifestyles could have been attributed to their ailments in old age.
Despite conservative leanings, I cherish my choice for monogamy, staying married for almost 40 years with lots of love from my family thanking God that I shied away from relationships that could have led me into serious illnesses associated with free love and multiple partners.
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