Are Gay Relationships More Lasting?

Love And Romance

oi-Anwesha Barari

By Anwesha Barari

Monday, August 29, 2011, 18:17

Gay relationships are more often than not lasting relationships and it is surprisingly strange. In this generation were all institutions are being broken and relationships are falling apart like a pack of cards how have same sex relationships managed to maintain some semblance of sanity? People break up with each other for the most frivolous reasons like bad breath or snoring but when we look at gay relationships, they seem to grow stronger with time. Is there a sociological or psychological reason for it?

Why are Gay Relationships Stronger?

1. The Stick Together when Threatened Concept: Today we are talking about gay rights and marriages but by and large same sex couples are still a marginalized community today. They are harassed, ridiculed and threatened by the society at large. Whenever a particular community is threatened, the 'us versus them' mentality creeps in. This is why gays stick together and have a strong sense of community. Community grows stronger only when the basic unit that is a couple stay strong. That probably why gay couples show such solidarity with each other.

2. Better Understanding of Gender: Most problems in relationships are gender specific in nature. A man by virtue of being a man cannot put himself in the skin of the woman and vice versa. So there are misunderstandings and ego clashes. For a gay relationship the biggest advantage is that both partners are men. So they understand each others mind sets perfectly. They both share the same set of gender biases, prejudices and a similar view point towards the opposite sex. So a huge chunk of relationship problems is hacked away from their lives making lasting relationships possible.

3. The Compulsion of Hiding: Most people in our country are still closet homosexuals too scared to 'come out' into the open due to adverse societal conditions. Some fear their family and some fear themselves. In such high risk lifestyles where they are living under the constant threat of being discovered it is very comforting to find a companion. Most often people don't want to let of their companion making same sex relationships last longer.

4. The Feeling of Finding that Special Someone: With so much venom being spewed against them and such confusion in society about their place, gays probably don't dream of finding real love. But when they do find that elusive 'love' they realize the value of it to the fullest. Both partners value each other making gay love stories successful. While supposedly 'straight' people are spoiled due to plenty of choice it is the lack of it that makes gays stick together.

Gay relationships can be serve as a role model for straight couples to work towards lasting relationships. Where there is struggle involved the fruit of that struggle is always sweeter.