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The term "Throuple" has become the latest trend in the country after some celebrities opened up about their participation in it.
In 2020, celebrities like Mungai Mbaya and Kaz Lucas revealed their involvement in throuples, much to the excitement of many Kenyans.
So, what is a throuple? It is a blend of the words "three" and "couple." A throuple is an ongoing relationship in which three people are romantic partners, as opposed to a threesome, which is a single sexual encounter with three people.
The trio may include a mix of genders and sexual orientations. When three people live together, have children together, and get married, only two of them can legally do so.
Throuples may be sexually active or strictly romantic.
According to Dictionary.com, the term first emerged as early as 1994 in an internet Usenet discussion of non-traditional relationships.
Its use was sporadic in the 2000s on online chat rooms but gained popularity in 2014 when Stephen Colbert featured a lesbian throuple's wedding on his TV show "The Colbert Report."
"RuPaul’s Drag Race" also brought attention to the term in 2017 when contestant Derrick Barry discussed his throuple with an artist and fellow drag queen.
In 2018, a throuple appeared in the Netflix show "Insatiable." With the release of the popular 2020 Netflix documentary "Tiger King," the term throuple was brought back into the public eye, thanks to the character of Joe Exotic, an eccentric animal park owner with two male lovers.
Throuple vs. polyamory vs. open relationship:
Although these terms share some similarities, a throuple is not the same as polyamory or an open relationship.
Each is a subset of moral non-monogamy. Polyamory involves having close relationships with more than one person, with the consent of all parties involved.
In an open relationship, a romantically connected couple (or throuple) chooses to have sex with individuals outside their partnership without forming strong emotional ties or commitments.
Various options may be in play, such as a V relationship, where the 'hinge' person has two relationships but their partners are not romantically involved with each other.
The throuple may have mutually agreed-upon norms regarding sleeping with people outside the triad.
Sleeping arrangements also vary, with some triads sleeping together every night, while others alternate partners to provide meaningful time for each couple, and some choose to sleep alone.
Advantages of being in a throuple include shared interests, emotional support during difficult times, the joy of observing others' happiness, and shared responsibilities for household maintenance and finances.
However, couples considering a throuple need to be prepared for their first relationship to undergo a transformation.
While being in a throuple doesn't necessarily have drawbacks, there are misconceptions about how it will look or feel and the amount of effort required.
Couples desiring to include a third person should be ready for their first relationship to undergo a significant transformation, and unfortunately, not all couples are prepared for this level of change.
