Portuguese poly roundup: "The winds of freedom are blowing"

Do you or polyfolks you know speak Portuguese? Some items of interest:

1. Estadão, the second largest newspaper in Brazil, recently published a long feature article on open relationships:

Amor sem amarras; Love without tethers

By Fabiana Caso

After the dictatorship of the traditional family, today the winds of freedom are blowing.... And contrary to the rule that possessiveness is part of love, some couples decide on open relationships. Unlike polyamory (poliamor), this is not about maintaining parallel/equal relationships, but having the right to be with other partners if there's physical attraction. Though in general these dating relationships do have rules and agreements.

The philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre and feminist writer Simone de Beauvoir were the most famous couple of the 20th century to adopt this model.... [Such couples] believe that despite having a stable relationship, they do not need to bypass opportunities that come their way....

"I was his first girlfriend [says young wife Ana], and I knew he had less experience than me. I made sure he felt free to try other people, and not be frustrated for the next 40 years by regretting what he had lost" by marrying early. But the agreement had rules: she did not want to hear about it.... "I am not jealous of what I do not know."...

In [the social-networking group] Orkut, the largest community of open relationships has 2,500 participants. Among them is Marcelo, a 30-year-old systems administrator in São Paulo who offers some interesting comments. He had an open relationship with a former partner the lasted almost eight years. They had a critical view of societal behavior-shaping, and discussed possessiveness in anthropological studies.... "We had a very strong loyalty in maintaining the relationship, especially after opening it."...

The article goes on to describe several people's open relationships, with different levels of nondisclosure, that broke up.

Read the whole original (July 20, 2008), and you can still seja o primeiro a comentar.

2. In Portugal, Público reported on Lisbon's annual GLBT parade and mentioned that, despite the talk of unity and solidarity, the polyamory contingent in the parade upset some of the more conservative gay marchers: 'Orientação sexual não é um tema “fracturante” '; see the last paragraph and the photo caption (June 28, 2008). In the comments, a poly organizer says the contingent was Poly-Portugal, which has been around for four years.

3. Poly-Portugal runs a Yahoo discussion group. A few months ago, organizer antidote73 announced, "We are trying to make a very concentrated effort to bring most of the polyamorous people living currently in Portugal onto the mailing list so that organisation and information about parties, discussions, meetings, dinners gets easier and more convenient."

4. The same folks run the Poliamor website, with Portuguese-language explanations and worldwide links.

5. See also the blogsite Our Laundry List (Nao-monogamia responsável e outras utopias possíveis): "Escreve-se aqui principalmente sobre POLIAMOR/POLYAMORY, nao monogamia responsável, mas também liberdade, GLBT, DIY, criatividade quotidiana e utopias definitivamente possiveis."

6. See also the Tamêra Community, "situada no Alentejo, Portugal. Tendo em vista a paz global, desenvolve várias actividades interessantes. Entre muitas coisas importantes, defende 'um amor sem ciúmes, sexualidade sem medo, alegria antecipada sem o medo secreto da impotência, uma fidelidade que não se desmorona por causa de "escapadelas", duração no amor e novos caminhos à parceria'. (English, Deutsch, Português)."

Updates, Dec. 17, 2008: A new website: Poliamor Brasil, "Para conceituar e viver amores sem fronteiras."

In the newspaper Folha da Região (Araçatuba, SP, Brazil; Dec 17, 2008): Possibilidades de amor: "Atualmente, o fenômeno chamado de 'Poliamor', cresce no mundo e ganha adeptos também no Brasil. Trata-se do envolvimento entre indivíduos que concordam com...." (Subscription required, 30-day free trial available).

See also poliamor.wordpress.com.

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