I Would Gladly Have Sex With My Friends
Are romantic relationships really that different from platonic ones?
When you think about your romantic or sexual relationships and your platonic friendships, do they exist on the same spectrum or different ones?
It struck me the other day that all adult relationships outside of our families are essentially the same. The only difference is where you draw the boundaries. What degree of emotional intimacy is allowed? How much time will you spend together? What emotional needs will you meet for each other? Is physical touch allowed — touching, holding hands? How about kissing or cuddling? What about sex?
The only problem is that in most relationships, we don’t talk about where these boundaries are.
For the purposes of this story, I am using the word “relationships” as an umbrella term for relationships between non-familial adults.
I am in an open relationship. This allows my partner and me a lot of freedom in how we design our lives. Admittedly, this gives me a different perspective on the role of romantic relationships, but I have always believed that you can and should have emotionally intimate platonic friendships. In the words of the fabulous Carrie Bradshaw:
Maybe our girlfriends are our soulmates and…
