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| Open relationships are common between gay men, according to Barry Adam, a professor at the University of Windsor in Canada who presented a study on the topic during a sociological conference in Atlanta this week. (Photo by Ryan Lee) |
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HOME > NEWS > NATIONAL NEWS
By: RYAN LEE
COMMENTS |
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Three-quarters of Canadian gay men in relationships lasting longer than one
year are not monogamous, according to a limited study presented during the
American Sociological Association conference held this week in Atlanta.
Barry Adam, a gay professor at the University of Windsor in Canada, last year
interviewed 70 gay men that were part of 60 couples for his study, “Relationship
Innovation in Male Couples.”
A slim 25 percent of those interviewed reported being monogamous, with age
and experience playing a major factor, Adam said.
“Those that were monogamous were more likely to be younger, more likely to
be in newer, shorter relationships — that is, under three years — and more
likely to come from Latino or Asian immigrant groups who said a more romantic
approach is what they were used to,” Adam said.
Adam’s study was one of several on gay topics presented during the conference,
held Aug. 16-19 at the Hilton Atlanta. Some 4,100 researchers attended the
annual event.
Adam recruited the men for his study through ads in gay publications and leaflets
distributed at gay organizations and bars in Ontario. In order to qualify for
the study, the men had to be in a relationship for at least a year. The relationship
of one couple spanned 23 years.
The sample of 70 men — including both members of 10 couples and 50 other men — included
41 Caucasians, 16 Asians, five men from African and Caribbean descent, seven
Latinos and one Canadian Aboriginal.
Adam said gay culture allows men to explore different, more successful, forms
of relationships besides the monogamy coveted by heterosexuals.
The men ranged between the ages of 20-60, and their annual income levels varied
greatly, with some making less than $10,000 and others making more than $60,000.
Some 26 of the men were HIV-positive, 42 were not and two did not disclose
their sero-status.
“One of the reasons I think younger men tend to start with the vision of monogamy
is because they are coming with a heterosexual script in their head and are
applying it to relationships with men,” Adam said. “What they don’t see is
that the gay community has their own order and own ways that seem to work better.”
Adam’s research team did not calculate the average length of non-monogamous
relationships. It was not clear if partners became non-monogamous over time,
or if they agreed to be in an open relationship from the beginning, Adam said.
The study sample was diverse but may not be representative of gay men as a
whole, because “genuinely random samples of gay and bisexual men are virtually
unachievable,” Adam said.
Matt Mutchler, a research and evaluation specialist for the AIDS Project Los
Angeles, presented a study on communication between gay men.
In interviews with 40 white and Latino gay men between the ages of 18-24, Mutchler
discovered that many wanted to practice safe sex, but lacked the knowledge
or fortitude to ensure they were protecting themselves.
“What they said runs contrary to the notion that gay men are totally irresponsible
or are behaving recklessly,” Mutchler said.
One of the primary problems the men in Mutchler’s study faced was a lack of
sex education that specifically addressed gay sex. Instead, the men received
what Mutchler called “safer education” — abstinence-until-marriage messages
that don’t consider that marriage remains unattainable for same-sex couples.
“Public school teachers tend talk about safe topics like abstinence, to avoid
any discussion about homosexuality and to neglect talking about the fact that
gay men do have relationships,” Mutchler said.
To counter this silence, Mutchler developed “gay-boy talk,” a program mirrored
after traditional “girl talk” that allows young females to discuss topics like
pregnancy, marriage and rape.
“This piece is built on the idea that if you can effect discourse, you can
effect behavior,” Mutchler said.
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