Romantic Relationship Stages among Homosexual Emerging Adults

Abstract

Romantic relationship models have traditionally been developed from heterosexual samples, limiting their applicability to sexual minority couples, particularly within culturally conservative contexts. Guided by this gap, the present study explored the stages of romantic relationships among homosexual emerging adult couples. Using a transcendental phenomenological design, ten participants in homosexual relationships were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. Guided by Moustakas’s (1994) framework, interviews were analyzed to identify essential themes and subthemes. Three stages of relationships emerged: (1) introduction stage, including meeting and decision-making as processes, (2) intimacy stage, encompassing the processes of commitment, challenges, and conflict resolution, and (3) planning for the future stage, involving the processes of union, adoption, and independent living. The findings extend existing relationship theories by demonstrating that while core relational processes remain present, homosexual couples experience unique developmental trajectories influenced by sociocultural constraints and minority stress. Recommendations include seminars by LGBTQIA+ organizations on coping strategies, gender-sensitivity training by government institutions, and information, education, and communication (IEC) materials on relationship development, based on the study's results, to guide the design of support for understanding, reflection, and relationship education for emerging LGBTQ+ adults. Future research should involve larger, more diverse samples and examine the effects of stress and specific gender identities on homosexual relationships.