No matter where you fall in the LGBTQIA community when you enter into a relationship it can be filled with joy and excitement. But just like our straight counterparts, our relationships are filled with ups and downs. Just become you are in an LGBT relationship doesn’t mean you will struggle with more complex relationship problems than other couples. You can CLICK HERE to read 15 common relationship problems couples face. While gay relationships can be affected by all of those problems here are some common relationship issues for gay couples.

Common Relationship Issues for Gay Couples

Before jumping into relationship issues for LGBT couples. It is important to keep in mind that we all come with our own personal issues. You can check out my post on common mental health issues affecting LGBT people by CLICKING HERE.

Gender Roles

From masculinity to feminity traditional gender roles get thrown out the window of a gay relationship. While not a problem in and of itself the more feminine one of the partners might start to do more traditional women’s roles. While the more masculinity partner might lean more towards a traditional men’s role. The problems that appear to come up is navigating these roles within the relationship. There is no right or wrong way to handle gender role or the lack of gender roles within the relationship. The goal for every couple will be to learn how to talk about their view of gender roles growing up. And how that view has impacted their expectations within the relationship. If a conflict is developing because of the unclear expectations an LGBT couples counselor can help you navigate these disagreements.

Level of LGBT Acceptance

We all navigate our own coming out process as we become more comfortable being LGBT. Conflict in relationships can arise because of the difference in levels of comfortability in your gay identity. From having a partner who is not out, to not being comfortable at the gay bars. Having different levels of LGBT acceptance can impact your relationship.

Family of Origin

On top of your partner’s level of LGBT acceptance, you also must deal with your families of origin. From your parents not being accepting of your boyfriend/girlfriend to not know how to tell people their child is gay. While this might not be a problem most of the year, it seems to affect relationship during important family events. Such as holidays, reunions, and life events like a graduation. Learning how to deal with these conflict in a united front can be challenging.

Open Relationship, Non-Monogamy, and Polyamorous Relationships

These nontraditional types of relationship can be found in both gay and straight couples. Having an open dialogue about what your expectations are when it comes to relationships is important. The LGBT community has unspoken rules about open relationships, non-monogamy, and polyamorous relationship. The key is to talk with your partner about it. You can read more about this topic by clicking here link coming in summer 2017.

Starting a Family

This common relationship issue does not mean more conflict. It can create stress and distance between partners in thinking about starting a family. Learning how to lean on your connections during these major life changes can be hard. Finding a gay couples therapist can help you deal with the stress of starting a family. Along with learning how to be parents on the same page is important.

When raising children LGBT couples must face conversation about why you have two mommies or two daddies. I have a resource page with tons of books to help with these conversations. Just CLICK HERE for LGBT parents resources.

The research shows that there is no difference between heterosexual relationships and homosexual relationship. If you live in Las Vegas and are looking for an LGBT therapist please CLICK HERE to scheduled a session with us.

Did we leave out any Common Relationship Issues for Gay Couples? IF so please leave a commit below!