Poly, ENM & The Conversations That Actually Matter

Featuring Bella Bathory & Queen L. Hibbler, SWOP Chicago.

Polyamory and ethical non-monogamy aren’t just about freedom—they’re about communication, accountability, and trust.

This panel dives into the conversations people often avoid but deeply need: STI disclosure, negotiating boundaries, navigating discomfort, and building relationships rooted in honesty rather than fear.

Let’s be real—talking about sexual health can feel vulnerable. Disclosing status, asking for recent results, or even starting the conversation can bring up fear of rejection, judgment, or losing connection. This session creates space for that discomfort while offering grounded, practical ways to move through it with clarity, confidence, and care.

Through real-life examples and open discussion, we’ll explore how to approach disclosure, ask for testing information, and navigate a partner’s status from a place of mindfulness and understanding—not assumption or panic.

We’ll also center science over stigma, including a clear breakdown of what Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U) means in the context of HIV, and how accurate information can replace fear-based narratives that limit connection and autonomy.

Together, we’ll unpack how internalized shame around STIs can shape communication, boundaries, and self-advocacy—because when shame is removed, what emerges is clarity, agency, and deeper intimacy.

Topics include:

• Bodily autonomy across multiple partners
• Accountability to yourself and those you engage with
• Building the language to communicate boundaries clearly and confidently
• Navigating disclosure conversations without fear or avoidance
• Practical prevention tools, including Doxy-PEP and other real-world harm reduction strategies

Because caring for yourself is caring for your community.

Come ready to rethink what safety, security, and trust can look like when honesty leads.