Gay, lesbian couples are as committed as heterosexuals: research

Washington, Jan 24 (UNI) If you think homosexual relationship is frivolous , give it a second thought because a research shows they too know what commitment is all about.

According to researchers from the US, gay and lesbian couples are as committed in their romantic relationships as heterosexual couples , the Science Daily reported today.

In fact, they came to the conclusion after studying the quality relationship among homosexual and heterosexual couples.

The results came after conducting two sets of studies which compared same-sex couples with opposite-sex couples on a number of developmental and relationship factors.

In the first study conducted by researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, results showed that same-sex relationships were similar to those of opposite-sex couples in many ways.

All had positive views of their relationships but those in the more committed relationships (gay and straight) resolved conflict better than the heterosexual dating couples, and lesbian couples worked together especially harmoniously during the laboratory tasks.

''Compared with married individuals, committed gay males and lesbians were not less satisfied with their relationships, '' said lead author Glenn I Roisman.

''Gay males and lesbians in this study were generally not different from their committed heterosexual counterparts on how well they interacted with one another, although some evidence emerged the lesbian couples were especially effective at resolving conflict, ''Roisman added In the second study, researchers from the University of Washington, San Diego State University and the University of Vermont examined how sexual orientation and legal status affected relationship quality.

They found that same-sex couples were similar to heterosexual couples on most relationships variables, and that the legalised status of a relationship did not seem to be the overriding factor affecting same-sex relationships.

However, the same sex-couples who were not in civil unions (a legally recognised union similar to marriage) were more likely to have ended their relationship compared to those couples in same-sex civil unions or heterosexual marriages.

The findings also showed that homosexuals , regardless of civil union status, were more satisfied with their relationships compared to married heterosexual couples. Same-sex couples reported more positive feelings toward their partners and less conflict than heterosexual married couples, said the authors.

UNI XC ARB MSJ KP1649