Gay relationships offer insights for healthier heterosexual marriages
June 10th, 2008
By JOE WINDISH, Technology Editor
The stereotype for same-sex relationships is that they do not last. But that may be due, in large part, to the lack of legal and social recognition given to same-sex couples. Studies of dissolution rates vary widely.
After Vermont legalized same-sex civil unions in 2000, researchers surveyed nearly 1,000 couples, including same-sex couples and their heterosexual married siblings. The focus was on how the relationships were affected by common causes of marital strife like housework, sex and money.
Notably, same-sex relationships, whether between men or women, were far more egalitarian than heterosexual ones. In heterosexual couples, women did far more of the housework; men were more likely to have the financial responsibility; and men were more likely to initiate sex, while women were more likely to refuse it or to start a conversation about problems in the relationship. With same-sex couples, of course, none of these dichotomies were possible, and the partners tended to share the burdens far more equally.
While the gay and lesbian couples had about the same rate of conflict as the heterosexual ones, they appeared to have more relationship satisfaction, suggesting that the inequality of opposite-sex relationships can take a toll. […]
Other studies show that what couples argue about is far less important than how they argue. The egalitarian nature of same-sex relationships appears to spill over into how those couples resolve conflict.
One well-known study used mathematical modeling to decipher the interactions between committed gay couples. The results, published in two 2003 articles in The Journal of Homosexuality, showed that when same-sex couples argued, they tended to fight more fairly than heterosexual couples, making fewer verbal attacks and more of an effort to defuse the confrontation.
Controlling and hostile emotional tactics, like belligerence and domineering, were less common among gay couples.
The Gottman Institute is likely to be responsible for a good bit of the work cited above. Their findings are here.
RELATED: This American Life had a terrific 2005 episode on The Sanctity of Marriage.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 at 5:57 pm and is filed under Human Rights, Family, Homosexuality, Legal Matters, Culture Wars, Moral Values, Women, Women's Issues, Sexuality, Gender, GLBT Issues, Sexism, Civil Liberties, Homophobia, Law & Legal Matters. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
