Same-Gender Couples

Couple Relationships

The significance of intimate partner relationships in human beings is hard to overstate: The presence of these relationships transcends place, culture, and time. The details may vary based on location, cultural beliefs, and era, but couple relationships have been a constant throughout much of human history. Couples are at the center of family systems: They create, shape, and nurture the lives of all subsequent family members and make choices which define and differentiate the family. Historically, people largely only left their family of origin, created by the couple pairing of their parents, when they entered into a couple relationship of their own, typically through marriage. Further, humans are one of only a few animal species with long-term partner bonds beyond the purposes of procreation. For many, the adult couple relationship is a defining hallmark of personhood.

Diversity Among Same-Gender Couples

The phrase “same-gender couples” may seem initially easy to define—two men or two women, each identifying as gay or lesbian. However, same-gender couples (SGCs) are a widely diverse group, consisting of these as well as couples with a bisexual or pansexual partner; couples in which one partner’s gender identity is different from their biological sex, including nonbinary or gender-nonconforming individuals; and some polyamorous couples, although polyamory is also found in heterosexual relationships and is distinct from sexual orientation. While these are also commonly referred to as same-sex couples, generally a better descriptor is SGCs as it more accurately represents the psychological and social importance of gender as opposed to biological sex.

History

Romantic relationships among members of the same gender may seem to be a relatively recent phenomenon, particularly considering the sparsity of SGCs in literature, politics, and art prior to the second half of the 20th century. However, this is likely a reflection of social views toward SGCs, rather than an accurate representation of their prevalence. SGCs have existed as far back as the first known civilizations, and they are represented in art and writings from Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and China. Notable historical figures, such as Alexander the Great, Nero, Plato, Michelangelo, and Leonardo DaVinci, are reputed to have had lasting, formalized relationships with other men. With the rise of major religions such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam; however, same-gender attraction and relationships became increasingly viewed as wrong or sinful. SGCs continued to exist, but in secret and at great risk, and largely disappeared from the world’s historical accounts for nearly two millennia.

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