An Initial Examination of Maintenance Behaviors in Gay and Lesbian Relationships

The present study is an initial examination of the relationship maintenance behaviors used by gay male and lesbian couples to sustain their relationship. The study replicates the open-ended survey approach used by Dainton & Stafford (1993) to explore the maintenance behaviors of heterosexual couples. In general, gay and lesbian partners were found to utilize many of the same basic maintenance behaviors that have been found in prior research on heterosexual couples. Importantly, several `unique' maintenance behaviors emerged, such as being `out' as a couple to one's social networks and seeking out gay/lesbian supportive environments as a means of strengthening the relationship in the face of social stigma. These behaviors appear to take on particular salience for gay and lesbian couples as a stigmatized group in maintaining their intimate relationships. In general, the findings question common assumptions as to differences between same-sex and heterosexual long-term relationships.