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Article
Divorce Ideation and 'Deal Breakers' among Married Gay Men and Lesbians: A Qualitative Exploration
Journal of Family Issues (2021)
  • Aaron Hoy, Minnesota State University, Mankato
  • Anfa Diiriye
  • Emily Gunderson
Abstract
Regardless of whether married individuals are actively pursuing divorce, at all stages of marriage, individuals can experience thoughts of divorce, which are often termed “divorce ideation” in the literature. However, with same-sex marriage only being legalized in 2015, the literature has yet to explore divorce ideation among individuals married to a same-sex partner. In this article, we used semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 28 married gay men and lesbians to explore how and under what circumstances gay men and lesbians think about divorce. We find that although a slight majority of participants had never considered divorce, many had, especially during periods of marital conflict. In addition, nearly all participants indicated that they would be willing to consider divorce under certain circumstances such as infidelity, the loss of trust and/or intimacy, and unhappiness with the relationship. We conclude by discussing the limitations of our research and directions for future research.
Publication Date
Winter February 25, 2021
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X21993854
Citation Information
Aaron Hoy, Anfa Diiriye and Emily Gunderson. "Divorce Ideation and 'Deal Breakers' among Married Gay Men and Lesbians: A Qualitative Exploration" Journal of Family Issues (2021)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/aaron-hoy/17/