When I came out as poly to my parents, my mom was supportive, but said a lot of things like "It makes sense to experiment now, while you're young. You don't want to be forty and settled down and realize you never got to try any fun things."
I didn't offer much of a response because I was happy to get any support at all, but the whole way she framed things in that comment and in other comments later made it sound like she thinks being poly is okay while I'm young and in college, but eventually I'll want/need to give up those "fun things" that I used to "experiment" with and settle down monogamously. I admit that I'm young and my sexual future could go in any number of directions, but it was really strange and hurtful to have the relationships I share with two people I care about deeply get automatically brushed off as an experiment, especially when I've made it clear how much they both matter to me.
Has anyone else had experiences in which their poly identity was brushed off, as a temporary or experimental thing or in a different way entirely? Please feel free to vent and share.
I didn't offer much of a response because I was happy to get any support at all, but the whole way she framed things in that comment and in other comments later made it sound like she thinks being poly is okay while I'm young and in college, but eventually I'll want/need to give up those "fun things" that I used to "experiment" with and settle down monogamously. I admit that I'm young and my sexual future could go in any number of directions, but it was really strange and hurtful to have the relationships I share with two people I care about deeply get automatically brushed off as an experiment, especially when I've made it clear how much they both matter to me.
Has anyone else had experiences in which their poly identity was brushed off, as a temporary or experimental thing or in a different way entirely? Please feel free to vent and share.
