Introduction The Stability of Relationships in Marriages and Cohabitations has been studied extensively across a variety of sexual couples (Amato 2010; Manning and Cohen 2012; Teachman 2002). Given that until 26 June 2015, not all same-sex couples had a legal opportunity to marry, it is important to investigate the relationship stability of cohabiting same-sex couples.
However, DOMA policies were not associated with relationship stability among married couples, consistent with the findings of aggregate-level analyses showing that there is no relationship between DOMA policies and different-sex marriages and divorces (Dillender 2014; Langbein and Yost 2009). Model 2, which is the measure of policy at the state level, shows that both cohabiting and married couples living in states that prohibit marriage between same-sex couples have slightly higher odds of divorce.
Among groups who believe very strongly that gay marriage is problematic, there is also a trend toward convergence of legal relationships for spouses, parents, and children. Research suggests that same-sex couples enjoy more egalitarian relationships and share more parenting responsibilities than heterosexual counterparts.
Given same-sex couples shared similar relational qualities and stability with heterosexual couples [27, 28, 29] and possibly a more egalitarian and fruitful relationship dynamic [30, 31], it is possible they would exhibit similar, if not better, changes in health compared with their heterosexual counterparts. Research has not compared same-sex couples day-to-day interactions-within and outside of couple dynamics-with that of heterosexual couples. Same-sex couples routines are generally similar, but the social environments they inhabit are vastly different, in large part because of the effects of the dominant heterosexual culture and traditional expectations about gender roles in relationships.
Same-sex couples members experience social biases differently, and have coped internally with them in different ways, but the effects of minority stress, or the effects of living with frequently negative social conditions, are always present in some degree. Past studies show that the strengths enjoyed by same-sex couples include an appreciation for personal differences, positive emotions, and effective communication. Although same-sex marriages or unions are not legally recognized in the U.S., gays and bisexuals enjoy various types of relationships, as well as straights.
Laws that permit marriage for same-sex couples may also benefit bisexuals and transgender individuals who are involved in same-sex relationships. A 2013 measure not only legalized gay and lesbian marriage, it allowed gay and lesbian couples to adopt children. The United States Supreme Court on June 26, 2015, held that the Constitution gives gay couples the right to marry, essentially legalizing gay marriage in thirteen states that had still banned it. The nations constitutional court gave the Taiwanese Legislature until May 24, 2019, to amend the marriage laws of Taiwan to allow for same-sex couples.
The ruling gave same-sex couples the power to request injunctive relief from a court to overturn a national law banning same-sex marriage; while not technically legislating nationwide same-sex unions, it was a significant step in that direction. In 2019, the Philippines Supreme Court rejected a petition that would have declared gay marriages unconstitutional, but acknowledged that same-sex couples deserved some measure of legal recognition. For more information, please contact Freedom to Marry gay and lesbian advocates and advocates, or the LGBT rights project of the American Civil Liberties Union. The U.S. Supreme Courts Obergefell decision, which extended marriage to same-sex couples, applies to American Samoa. Chile allows civil unions between people of same sex, but a conservative coalition in government has blocked marriage equality legislation from passing in Congress for years.
The global expansion of LGBTQ+ rights has been uneven, with same-sex relationships being banned in many countries. The continued push-back against the rights of sexual minorities, particularly in the Trump era (e.g., Masterpiece Cakeshop Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission), could keep same-sex couples from reaping as many benefits as heterosexual couples from marrying in the U.S. Relatedly, recent research also indicates that even when legal marriage is available for same-sex couples, it still may not be fully supported by same-sex couples families, friends, co-workers, and employers.
