When you have 2 lovers, the holidays can be tricky

Are polyamorists hiding in your family? (Shutterstock) by Carrie Jenkins, University of British Columbia Imagine you’re going home for the holidays, and this year you’re introducing a new partner to your family. Slightly awkward? Ok. Now imagine your old partner is there as well. Oh, and they’re still your partner too. We’re now well beyond awkward. The dynamics of this situation are complex and demand closer attention. As a philosophy professor who researches the nature of love, and as someone who has two romantic partners, my interest in them is both intellectual and personal. Let’s start with the word “home.” It’s a shifty word: going home for the holidays isn’t like going home from the bar. When the evening’s over, you go back to your current domicile, but when the year is over, you go back to where you came from. Moreover, home has positive connotations, unlike neutral descriptions such as “house” or “apartment.” That’s why we say home is where the heart is, there’s no place like it, and so on. Family isn’t all apple pie Going home for the holidays is also about returning to one’s people — one’s “family.” Family is also strongly associated with positive things,...