Oh yes, you did read that correctly. Members of the LGBTQ+ community seem to have a lot of luck when it comes to relationships. However, is it luck, or is there much more going on? Let’s find out how gay people keep their relationships so happy and stable. There’s definitely a lot we can learn from them.
Research About Same-Sex Marriage Revealed
When it comes to gay marriages vs. straight marriages, we can’t help but wonder about who’s got it better. Members of the LGBTQ+ community definitely have a hard life, to begin with. On the other hand, heterosexuals have more privilege. Still, does this mean that one type of marriage is better than the other? Let’s find out.
A study conducted by the New York Times reveals surprising results. Not only do happy gay couples exist, but they’re apparently better at spousal duties. Men that are in same-sex marriages report that they have a much easier time splitting tasks with their significant other. So you doing all the chores around the house can finally stop. If these men can do it, so can your man.
That’s not all though. The study also shows that they’re better at managing their time. This way, they can spend more time with their kids. Actually, gay men do it more than their straight peers. We’re not sure what this is telling us, but we can definitely learn a lot from these people. Being gay isn’t what gives them the superpower to do it all… or maybe it is.
A Model for Straight People
If we still pay close attention to the rest of this study, we’ll soon see that there is other important information we can gather from it. Mainly, this study revolves around marital strain and psychological distress in same-sex and different-sex couples — which happens to be the name of the study.
People often think that gay people cannot be good at relationships or parenting, no matter what kind of people they are. There’s a lot of stigma surrounding this, which means the following might surprise you — gay people are usually happier in both their relationships and marriages. Women in straight marriages report the highest levels of stress. This shouldn’t come as a surprise since marriage isn’t always easy on a woman.
On the other hand, women in same-sex marriages report significantly lower levels of stress. The same goes for men in straight marriages, which doesn’t come as a surprise. Either way, this is telling us that, once again, we have plenty to learn from people of the LGBTQ+ community.
Raising Kids
We’ve mentioned parenting briefly, and it’s true that there’s a lot of stigma surrounding this topic. People list a lot of bogus reasons why gays shouldn’t have children. It’s the whole “if you can’t have children with your partner naturally, then you shouldn’t have them” kind of thing. Also, many fear that children from gay relationships can turn out to be gay too. On the contrary — they can just end up being more open-minded, accepting, and understanding of others.
Plus, gay people can give plenty of children a great home. We’re talking about children they can adopt, those that have been left behind by their straight parents. Another thing to note is that gay people can’t accidentally conceive. This is great because there’s no sex-related stress, but it’s awesome for another reason too — they can plan ahead.
Planning ahead means that they’ll always be ready for a child they’re about to have. That’s what makes them such incredible parents. They know exactly what they’re getting into, and they dive in head-first.
What You Can Do to Help Straight Couples
What gay people do in their relationships isn’t a secret. That’s why they will always share their tips and tricks for a stable relationship. All you need to do is ask them. On the other hand, when you’re giving advice to your straight friends, always keep in mind that every gender has societal pressures. For example, it’s easy to tell men to just express their feelings more often. It might not be so easy for them to do it.
Gay people have their own societal pressures to deal with, which is why they don’t usually pay attention to what society says men and women should be/act like. Some of those things can put a huge strain on straight relationships. That’s why you should keep this in mind when giving advice.
Other than that, this is the perfect opportunity to sit your friends down and tell them all about how you keep your relationship afloat. Give them examples of arguments and how you solve them. You can even share tips on how you compromise and overcome obstacles. Whatever you do, they’ll definitely thank you for it.
Conclusion
Having a study published on a topic like this is huge. It will definitely help erase some of the stigma surrounding gay couples. Maybe people will start to realize that genders don’t matter in a relationship. What matters is love, mutual respect, and compromise. Sometimes, you have to give up on stuff for the sake of your partner, and that isn’t always easy.
Luckily, gay people can teach you a thing or two about understanding and compromise. Don’t be afraid to ask your friends how they do it — they’ll definitely have some tips for you.
