2022 Community Survey Report
Between March 31 and May 16, 2022, OPEN circulated a community survey designed to help us understand the experiences and needs of the non-monogamous population. 507 individuals who self-identify as non-monogamous responded to our survey and agreed for their responses to be included in our report.
Click here to view the full report, or read some of our top-level takeaways below. Special thanks to the volunteer team who analyzed the survey data and helped draft this report!
Compared to the general U.S. population, survey respondents skewed young and white, with half having practiced non-monogamy for less than three years. The majority of respondents identified as bisexual or pansexual, with a strong preference for polyamory over other forms of non-monogamy.
Research has found that preferences for non-monogamy do not vary significantly across age, education level, income, religion, region, political affiliation, and race. Therefore, the skew in respondents is a reflection of OPEN’s initial audience at launch, not of the broader demographics of the non-monogamous population. In particular, the large majority of white respondents highlights the need for OPEN to prioritize outreach and relationship building within POC communities.
Most non-monogamous people are not fully open about their identity and relationships in most parts of their lives such as with parents, employers, and housing providers. Respondents described a range of reasons for choosing not to be open about their non-monogamous identities:
"I worked for a city department with kids and knew my openness wasn’t welcome there. Keeping my mouth shut kept me in a job."
“I am not out due to the fact I am a Black woman and I have enough struggles."
"I have to keep my relationship statuses secret from family/some friends as I know I would be ostracized for it or face abuse from some family members."
72% of respondents reported experiencing stigma or prejudice on the basis of their non-monogamous identity, with 7.5% reporting stigma or prejudice in employment and 4.3% in housing.
“"I got assigned a therapist through Medicaid and when I shared my non-monogamous identity/practice, my therapist called it a ‘condition’ and tried to prescribe me medication for bipolar disorder."
“[Non-monogamy] was listed as one of the reasons I was accused of being an unfit parent and my custody was revoked for over a year during my defense with only supervised weekly visits allowed.”
"My family accepted my bisexuality but disowned me after I said I was Polyamorous. Banned from all family functions."
Individuals with marginalized or non-privileged identities (e.g. non-white, trans) were less likely to be part of communities, more likely to encounter barriers to non-monogamy, and more likely to report experiencing stigma or discrimination. This reinforces other research which has found that holding intersecting marginalized or non-privileged identities can reinforce barriers to success and compound experiences of stigma and discrimination.
Respondents reported a range of benefits from practicing non-monogamy, with 95% reporting "personal growth and fulfillment" and 87% reporting "more love and intimacy.”
Support our work to normalize and empower non-monogamous communities and relationships by donating today! OPEN is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization; donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
