Finally, an indisputable study to confirm what we already knew.
After questioning more than 34,000 people in the UK and Australia, researchers found that gay and lesbian couples are better off.
However, bisexual people suffered from worse relationships, on average, than straight or homosexual people. Francisco Perales and Janeen Baxter from the University of Queensland conducted the study.
In their report, they wrote that “individuals in same-sex couples (particularly lesbian women) generally are more equitable in the ways in which they allocate domestic work, including childcare.
The lowest relationship quality in both countries was reported by bisexual individuals.”
The researchers suggested that gay and lesbian couples might have better relationships because they are less concerned about sticking to stereotypical gender roles. Straight couples often reaffirm their gender roles in relationships, which, the authors state, can lead to an unfair division of labour.
“Unequal household burdens are associated with poor relationship outcomes, including marital conflict and divorce.If gender display is not as salient in same-sex couples and these relationships are more egalitarian than heterosexual couples, higher levels of relationship quality might be expected.”
The two added that same-sex couples might feel more connected to a community of similar couples, which may increase their happiness. They also suggested that “individuals in same-sex relationships may be more likely than those in different-sex relationships to have high relationship investment.
Perales and Baxter argued that their findings supported giving more rights to same-sex couples, another voice to the cause alongside the Melbourne Childrens Hospital, who found that the biggest threat to kids of same-sex couples is discrimination.
The authors also emphasised that their results “highlight the need to give further attention to bisexual individuals as a distinct group because their outcomes are comparatively poor.”
So, carry on knowing science is on your side, and maybe put a little more energy into keeping tabs on your bi pals.
Check out the full study here.