Thanks for sharing (and I just realized that that could be taken two ways)!

Full confession: I am a gay man who has enjoyed multiple sex partners (sometimes concurrently) so my experience and observations may not be relevant to everyone. I have been in a relationship for the past nineteen years with an incredible guy who I truly regard as my soul mate … and we have never been monogamous. Nor do we feel any jealousy — in fact, we derive vicarious pleasure from sharing our adventures with each other.

So here is my question for those who are criticizing you (or at least criticizing your interpretation of your experience): if you genuinely love another person, and are confident that he or she loves you as well, why on earth would you need to deny that person the enjoyment of varied sexual contacts?

You have every right to insist on safer sex with outside partners, and on the use of reasonable protection if you are in a heterosexual relationship and pregnancy is a possibility. Beyond that, jealousy seems to be nothing more than a defense mechanism for people who are insecure, or who erroneously believe that “love” allows us to treat another human being as a possession.

It sounds to me like you have great deal of maturity. Stay thoughtful, stay in the moment, and keep growing and writing!