A new survey from the dating app Feeld indicates that 50 per cent of its members practise relationship anarchy, with particularly high adoption among trans, non-binary, gender diverse and pansexual individuals. This approach to intimacy, which emphasises freedom and equality over traditional relationship hierarchies, is reshaping how young people build connections.
First introduced in 2006 by Swedish developer Andie Nordgren, relationship anarchy applies anarchic principles such as anti-capitalism, anti-hierarchy and mutual aid to resist conventional relationship models. Nordgren outlines four building blocks: replacing codependence with expansive care, giving equal importance to all relationships, rejecting prescribed labels, and focusing on customised connections.
The framework is fundamentally queer and inclusive, encouraging people to create relationships based on genuine desires rather than social obligations. Most practitioners are in alternative structures like non-monogamy, and the approach is gaining traction amid rising numbers of unmarried people and shifting attitudes towards traditional coupledom.
Experts suggest that those interested in exploring relationship anarchy can start by reflecting on past and desired relationships, questioning pressures towards monogamy, and considering how to integrate friends, lovers and family more fluidly. The trend reflects a broader desire for new ways of relating that reduce social isolation and build stronger community bonds.
