Polyamory Leaders Meet for Third Summit Meeting

At long last I've written up a report on the Polyamory Leadership Network's summit held in February.  The Network (hereafter referred to as “PLN”) held its third summit February 21-22, 2010 in the Philadelphia area. Thirty-five leaders from across the U.S. attended, and the summit was facilitated by workshop facilitator and sex educator Reid Mihalko.

PLN is a loosely-formed group of community leaders formed in October, 2008 at the 2008 Poly Pride Celebration in New York City. Its purpose is to educate the general public about polyamory as a legal, natural, ethical, practical, and joyous way of life; to provide education and support for members of the polyamory community and others interested in or touched by this relationship choice; and to foster a public climate in which all forms of consensual adult relationship choices are respected and honored. This is achieved through publications, media outreach, creative and scholarly projects, support for local/regional allies, and by providing opportunities and venues for collaboration and information-sharing.

After general introductions, Sarah Taub and I presented a recap of the prior summit held a year earlier. Projects that originated at the 2009 summit were reviewed and include providing more volunteer support and funding for the Loving More Non-Profit; a national coming out project; outreach projects to legal professionals, poly/mono partners, Principle Voices (a pro-religious polygamy organization), therapists, and polyamorists under 35; the formation of the Polyamory Media Association to better manage and leverage opportunities arising from media coverage of polyamory; a poly history timeline; and, of course, research collaboration with CARAS, on which Sarah Taub reported on the CARAS Polyamory Community Study currently in development.

Then we discussed and determined what skills and resources we offer each other. Each person spoke to what they are passionate about, love doing, and are great at, which was recorded and distributed for finding project collaborators that share our passion for a specific project. We all agreed to commit only to what we know how to do, are good at, and love doing.

Next we were asked to report what projects we are doing as individuals, and/or are fired up about doing. These included creating more events to build connections and communities; improving poly community diversity; helping with the CARAS poly community survey; developing and presenting more relationship skills workshops; creating a website that teaches good relationship skills; organizing a poly convention; creating poly leadership resources; organizing events for disseminating information on STIs; researching and writing scholarly articles; expanding offerings of presentations to relevant professional audiences; creating a virtual intentional poly community; co-producing a sex and relationships expo marketed to the general public; creating a "Faces of Polyamory" video; and presenting on polyamory to LGBT youth and at LGBT conferences.

The focus of the wrap-up part of the summit was the next PLN summit, and it was determined that the next PLN summit will be held October 24-25, 2010 in the Seattle area hotel where Loving More’s Poly Living west coast conference will take place the same weekend.

As the meeting closed, everyone reported feeling inspired, excited and having renewed energy for their work on behalf of polyamory and the polyamory community.

Calling All Poly Leaders - Poly Leadership Summit February 21-22, 2010

On February 21-22, 2010 an informal polyamory leadership summit will be held following the Poly Living conference at the Ft. Washington Holiday Inn and Conference Center in the Philadelphia metro area.  Whether you can be there or not, if you are not already a member of the Polyamory Leadership Network and wish to become one and get notices of future summits, please download, carefully read and complete this survey form to tell us about you and your activism work and e-mail it to the address shown at the end of the form. 

For full details and to sign up for the summit, go here. 

An Invitation to the Second National Polyamory Leadership Summit

The participants in the National Polyamory Leadership Summit held in New York City on October 5, 2008, invite you to join them for the Second National Polyamory Leadership Summit the evening of Sunday, March 1 and all day Monday, March 2, 2009. Specific times to be announced soon. It will be held at the Holiday Inn, Fort Washington, PA (suburban Philadelphia, following the Poly Living Conference.

The National Polyamory Leadership Summit is convened to gather leaders who serve our community for a professionally facilitated dialogue that further determines common ground and the means by which to move the Polyamory movement forward.

Cost:* $50 in person (limited seating), $25 by teleconference

Requirements for Participation:

Submission of Survey Answers by February 15, 2009 to Anita Wagner at Anita.Wagner@practicalpolyamory.com

Payment of the participation fee by February 15, 2009

Attendees click here to register and pay via Paypal.
Teleconference click here to register and pay via Paypal.
(If you have trouble with the PayPal link right click and please copy the URL to your browser or contact Robyn with Loving More at 970-667-5683 or polysummit@lovingmorenonprofit.org)

A Partial List of Invited Leaders: (in alphabetical order)

Aiken MacIain (relationship expert, Mandala Enterprises)
Alan M (Creator of PolyInTheMedia.com)
Andrew Hoerner (author, Love and Polytics)
Barbara Foster (Author of Three in Love)
Beki Rosenthal MPA (author, educator, mediator “Miss Polyamory” on YouTube)

C.T. Butler (Author, activist)
Catalina Castells ( organizer Free Spirit Gatherings)
Cunning Minx (Creator of Polyamory Weekly Podcast)
Dave Hall (poly presenter/former president of Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality -West division)

David Lynn (LovingMore worker, non-profits specialist)
Dawn Davidson (relationship expert, Mandala Enterprises)
Deborah Taj Anapol (author, Polyamory: the New Love Without Limits)
Dr. Beth Leszczyn (poly psychologist/workshop facilitator)
Dr. David Doleshal (Saturnia Regna/World Polyamory Assoc.)

Dr. Ken Haslam (Creator of the Polyamory Library at the Kinsey Institute)
Dr. Mim Chapman (poly expert/leader)
Dr. Sasha Lessin (co-author, Polyamory: Many Loves/World Polyamory Assoc.)
Elaine Cook (CASCADE) (founding member of Poly Researcher’s List)
Franklin Veaux (poly activist/writer)

Harlan White (UU Poly/ Activist Seattle)
Janet Kiran Lessin (co-author, Polyamory: Many Loves/World Polyamory Assoc.)
Jasmine Walston (Representing Unitarian Universalists for Polyamory Awareness)
Jenny Block (Author of Open: Love, Sex and Life in an Open Marriage)
Jim Fleckenstein (author, Executive Director, Institute for 21st Century
Relationships / Foundation of the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom)

Joe Melhado (Leader of Tri-State Poly)
John Ulman (author, media relations)
Jon Webster (polyactivist)
Justen Bennett-Maccubbin (Founder, Polyamorous NYC)
Kamala Devi (poly expert/author)

Kelly Bryson (poly speaker/author/activist)
Kyle Applegate(Director of Membership, Polyamorous NYC)
Leanna Wolfe (Polyamorist, author and anthropologist)
Leon Feingold, Esq. (Director of Legal Affairs, Polyamorous NYC)
Liyana Silver (Creator of Re-defining Monogamy.com)

Lyndell Moore (Former Director of Events Planning, Polyamorous NYC)
Marcia Baczynski (Relationship and sex expert, co-creator of Cuddle Party)
Mary Elizabeth (Poly Group Organizers list and Utah group leader)
Mary Wolf (poly activist)
Matthew Tenney (poly activist, NPLSOG consultant)

Michael Baisden (celebrity radio host and TV One polyamory show producer)
Nan Wise (Therapist and polyamory spokesperson)
Oberon and Morning Glory Zell ( Church of All Worlds)
Patrick Durgin-Bruce (Director of Communications, Polyamorous NYC)
Peppermint (activist and organizer in California)

Pete Benson (Author of The Polyamory Handbook)
Reid Mihalko (Relationship and sex expert, co-creator of Cuddle Party)
Rick Sandford (community activist, organizational development advisor)
Robert McGary (therapist, runs The Human Potential Center)
Serena Anderlini-D' Onofrio (Author, activist)

Simon Deacon (Director of Monthly Meetings, Polyamorous NYC)
Terry Brussel (founder Live the Dream)
Tristan Taormino (Author of Opening Up)
Valerie White (Family Tree Boston/ Lawyer/ Activist/ UUPA)
Zhahai Stewart (poly activist, counselor, facilitator for Human Awareness Institute)

Organizing Committee(in alphabetical order):

Anita Wagner (polyamory advocate, activist, blogger & Loving More Board Member)
Antonia Levy (Director of Academic Relations, Polyamorous NYC)
Birgitte Philippides (National Polyactivist / Former President, Polyamorous NYC)
Buck Lawrence (Treasurer, Polyamorous NYC)

Carol Morotti-Meeker (Board Member, The Institute for 21st Century Relationships /
Foundation of the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom)
Diana Adams, Esq. (Vice President, Polyamorous NYC)
Donna Mellan (Director of Business Affairs, Polyamorous NYC)
Jesus Garcia (Board Member of Loving More Nonprofit)

Mark Van Pelt (Former Secretary, Polyamorous NYC)
Michael Rios (polyactivist/Network for New Culture)
MorpheusNYC (polyactivist, founder of Pleasure Positive Movement and nycALTevents)
Robyn Trask (Managing Director of Loving More Nonprofit)
Sarah Taub (polyactivist/Network for New Culture)

Survey

Please answer and return to Anita Wagner
( anita.wagner@practicalpolyamory.com )
Not later than February 15, 2009
(Cut and paste in an email is fine.)

The National Polyamory Leadership Group is a collaborative group of polyamory community leaders from around the U.S. who have come together to work to carry the polyamory movement forward. Its meetings welcome participation both via physical presence and via teleconference. The organization advocates for the interests of all who self-identify as polyamorous regardless of age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation or political point of view.

All participants are expected to commit to the following:

To volunteer to do their fair share of the work of the group.

To do their best to stay engaged with and aware of the ongoing work of the group.

To collaborate with others in a productive manner.

To keep conflict to a minimum and avoid it entirely whenever possible.

To avoid placing personal agendas ahead of the work of the organization.

In order to help us get to know you better, please provide us with the following survey information via email as instructed above:

Name

Location

Phone Number

Email Address

Local poly groups in which you may participate

How long have you considered yourself a polyamory activist, advocate and/or organizer?

Please describe your polyamory activism, advocacy and/or community organizing experience.

Please describe any analogous activism, advocacy and/or community organizing experience you may have and can contribute.

What other skills and abilities might you contribute, especially those career-related?

Please share your personal philosophy about polyamory activism and what motivates you to join us.

Please share anything else you'd like us to know about you.

We appreciate your interest in becoming part of this groundbreaking effort!

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*No profit is realized – expenses for room rental, meals and teleconferencing services are equitably passed through to participants.