You’ve heard about the Relationship Anarchy (RA) group organized in the Seattle area. But RA is also a philosophy describing ways to shape relationships.

Between 2004 and 2008, Swedish blogger // genderqueer relationship hacker Andie Nordgren (and others) explored, developed, and defined some of the fundamental ideas that shape the philosophy of relationship anarchy. Andie Nordgren’s The short instructional manifesto for relationship anarchy was published as a pamphlet in 2006 (in Swedish: “Relationsanarki i 8 punkter”). Those guideposts are now translated and interpreted across a spectrum. Marie Crosswell distills relationship anarchy into explicitly essentialist terms in Relationship Anarchy Basics, defining exactly what a Relationship Anarchist Is And Is Not. Wesley Fenza, on the other hand, describes relationship anarchy as a framework that can be compatible with polyamorous relationships (Polamory vs. Relationship Anarchy).

All that being said, these perspectives all share common elements – stepping away from societally prescribed relationship hierarchies, choosing to be self-responsible in determining the core needs and values that shape your relationships, and aspiring to grow and evolve your relationships based upon practices of trust, respect, communication, and the belief that love can be abundant.

So, yeah: spectrum. Or, as some some folks in our group like to say:

The path is wide.

 

So then, how does the philosophy of RA relate to the group?