Relationships come in all shapes and sizes. With more acceptance coming into light in 2022, more of these ‘weird’ romantic relationships are becoming more and more common in our society. But how many are there? Which ones exist? And, which one fits me the most?

Monogamous Relationships

Monogamy is seen as the most common relationship shown in both movies and in public. Monogamy is where two people have a romantic relationship with each other, and only commit to one another throughout it. But slowly in the 20th century, it has been losing its traction in the media.

Polyamous Relationships

Polyamory is the second most common relationship that is shown online and in society. It is part of the LGBTQ+ community, but unlike the other identities, Polyamory is a choice. Many people who are Poly prefer multiple partners, but are also able to date one.

While Poly might be popular now, it is still widely shunned. People find it hard to understand that loving more than one person is okay. Others view it as cheating and that the partners are unable to be loyal, but it is far from that. Cheating can still happen in Polyamous couples, however it is completely dependent on the partners who are involved.

Poly relationships are hard to uphold however. (From someone who has been in multiple poly relationships since 7th grade, it is a lot of work.)

Communication is the key to balancing multiple relationships at once, and despite what many people think, jealousy still affects Poly relationships.

Poly relationships take more time and effort than Monogamous relationships, but the reward for it is worth the taxing effort to many.

QPP (Queer Platonic Partner)

Queer Platonic Relationships is a mouthful, but it is much less confusing than it seems. QPP is a romantic relationship between two or more people, where they engage in romantic activities and act like a couple, but don’t have the feelings behind it.

It’s a lot like dating your best friend, with all the love but none of the strings that involve feelings.

Aromantic

Aromantic is actually not a relationship, but a term in the Queer community. Aromantic people feel no romantic attraction to people. However, Aro is a wide spectrum.

Some people feel no feeling of romance at all, while others feel it only under extremely specific circumstances.

Despite what many people believe however, Aromantics can still desire a romantic relationship. It’s the same feeling as eating when you’re not hungry. You get enjoyment from the action, but don’t actually have that feeling of hunger. Not all Aro people want a relationship though, so it’s great to ask before anything too drastic happens.

T4T (Trans For Trans)

T4T, or Trans for Trans, is a term used in the trans community. T4T is when a person who falls under the Trans umbrella only feels attraction towards another trans person, or only feels comfortable with dating someone who doesn’t identify with their born gender.

Many trans people have saftey issues towards cis people, or people who aren’t trans. Wide hate towards the community can lead to someone only dating others who are like them to preserve their safety, or they truly just don’t feel attraction to someone who isn’t trans, which is okay.

This is not consideredhate towards cis people, but more of a safey blanket. Even if they proved they can be trusted around queer people, sometimes it’s just a risk many aren’t willing to take.

Relationships come in different sizes, colors, and shapes. However, all should be accepted for who they are and who they date. No one should ever be judged for what they like. And being confused is okay. Confusion of someones actions should never lead to discrimination or hate towards that person. Love can be an amazing thing, and no one should be shamed for it.