Married heterosexual couples can learn a great deal from gay and lesbian couples according to the first published observational studies of homosexual relationships. "Gay and lesbian couples are a lot more mature, more considerate in trying to improve a relationship and have a greater awareness of equality in a relationship than straight couples," said John Gottman, a University of Washington emeritus professor of psychology who directed the research along with Robert Levenson, a University of California, Berkeley, psychology professor.

"Straight couples start a conflict discussion in a much more negative place than do gays and lesbian couples. Homosexuals start the same kind of discussions with more humor and affection, are less domineering and show considerably more positive emotions than heterosexual couples. The way a discussion starts is critical. If it starts off in a bad way in a heterosexual relationship, we have found that it will become even more negative 96 percent of the time. Gays and lesbians are warmer, friendlier and less belligerent. You see it over and over in their discussions, and their partner is receiving the message they are communicating. In turn, their partner is allowing himself or herself to be influenced in a positive way. With married heterosexual couples a discussion is much more of a power struggle with someone being invalidated." Gay and lesbian relationships seem to be marked by what Gottman calls "the triumph of positive emotions over negative emotions."

Dan Yoshimoto, a UW psychology doctoral student who worked on the studies, added that the ways gays and lesbians resolve conflict may be the glue that maintains stability in homosexual relationships.

"The overall implication of this research is that we have to shake off all of the stereotypes of homosexual relationships and have more respect for them as committed relationships. Gays and lesbians may be more competent at having a mature relationship. Our data suggests our society needs to reconsider its policy and that we should value and honor love wherever we find it," Gottman said.

The National Institute of Mental Health funded the research. >from *Gay, lesbian couples can teach heterosexuals how to improve relationships* october 20, 2003

related context
> UCLA scientists find genes organize male and female brains differently; research suggests that sexual identity is 'hard-wired' before birth. october 21, 2003
> sexual orientation 'hard-wired' before birth - startling new evidence revealed in the blink of an eye. october 2, 2003
> biodiversity include sexual diversity: extended concept of biodiversity. june 14, 2002

imago
> what do you both need...
glue, oil, or perhaps just adhesive tape?

"The results of more than a century of anthropological research on households, kinship relationships, and families, across cultures and through time, provide no support whatsoever for the view that either civilization or viable social orders depend upon marriage as an exclusively heterosexual institution. Rather, anthropological research supports the conclusion that a vast array of family types, including families built upon same-sex partnerships, can contribute to stable and humane societies.

The Executive Board of the American Anthropological Association strongly opposes a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to heterosexual couples." From the Statement on Marriage and the Family from the American Anthropological Association. February 25, 2004

http://www.aaanet.org/press/ma_stmt_marriage.htm

biology behind homosexuality in sheep, study confirms. researchers show brain anatomy, hormone production may be cause male sheep's preference for same-sex partners has biological underpinnings.

A study demonstrates that not only are certain groups of cells different between genders in a part of the sheep brain controlling sexual behavior, but brain anatomy and hormone production may determine whether adult rams prefer other rams over ewes.

Oregon Health & Science University researchers discovered an irregularly shaped, densely packed cluster of nerve cells in the hypothalamus of the sheep brain, which they named the ovine sexually dimorphic nucleus or oSDN because it is a different size in rams than in ewes. The hypothalamus is the part of the brain that controls metabolic activities and reproductive functions.

The oSDN in rams that preferred female was "significantly" larger and contained more neurons than in male-oriented rams and ewes. In addition, the oSDN of the female-oriented rams expressed higher levels of aromatase, a substance that converts testosterone to estradiol so the androgen hormone can facilitate typical male sexual behaviors. Aromatase expression was no different between male-oriented rams and ewes.

The study was the first to demonstrate an association between natural variations in sexual partner preferences and brain structure in nonhuman animals.

http://www.ohsu.edu/news/2004/030504sheep.html