A new study focusing on trends of monogamy has suggested that younger gay male couples are more inclined to be monogamous than their older counterparts.
The research was conducted by Lanz Lowen and Blake Spears and involved the participation of 832 gay male respondents between the ages of 18 and 39-years old.
"Probably the most striking finding of this study is that younger gay men seem to be more inclined toward monogamy than their elders," the pair wrote of their research.
Of the couples interviewed for the study, 86% were monogamous and 14% were non-monogamous, while 90% of single participants stated they were seeking monogamous relationships.
The study also found that while 44% of singles from 26-40 were open to the possibility of non-monogamous relationships, only 29% of those 25 and under were open to the possibility.
For community researchers Lowen and Spears, who are in a non-monogamous relationship, the study offered some clarity.
“We had been in a non-monogamous relationship for 36 years and were curious about the experience of others,” they wrote in The Couple’s Study.
“There wasn’t any road map and we assumed long-term couples might offer valuable perspectives and hard-earned lessons.”
One participant wrote: "My impression is that younger people are oriented more toward monogamy. The reason is the fact that gay culture is becoming assimilated into the mainstream, and monogamy is part of the assimilation. The idea of finding and settling down with your soul mate is desirable, and the fact that with gay marriage, that’s more attainable now.”
Another said they felt pressured by members of the gay community to open up their relationship, writing: "I don’t feel supported by the gay community in having a monogamous relationship. In fact, the norm seems to be open relationships, and we feel judged, and even pressured, to open things up, when people find out we’re monogamous."
A possible sign of things to come, a significant 92% of single gay men involved in the study said they expected to one day get married.
