Gender Roles In Same Sex Relationships Essay

What about Gender Roles in Same-Sex Relationships?

Gender roles in same-sex couples are often hard to identify. Stephen Mays who wrote “Gender Roles in Same-Sex Relationships” believes that just because a male or female might be in a relationship with the same gender does not insinuate that there must be a “woman or man” title that must be fulfilled by the partners, Instead he believes that there does not need to be a label on one or the other partners, he believes that a man can like shopping or cooking without being the “woman” of the relationship and a woman can like sports or doing manly things without being the “man” in the relationship.’

To think that relationships can function off of the idea that both parties are “just two men or two women” is a far stretch. Many people assume that because same sex couples are of the same sex that neither party has to be either the masculine or the feminine role. Contrary to those beliefs I think that having a masculine and a feminine role is a

must in a relationship. How would relationships work if there was no leadership primarily coming from one role? The masculine role plays a huge part in any relationship; I think another word for this Masculine role is a “Leader”. In turn this masculine or leadership role plays a part in all aspects of life such as careers, families, or even school environments. Teachers and students are not just boys and girls, bosses and coworkers are not just two people working for the same company, and parents and children are not just people living under the same roof, in all these scenarios there is always a leader or backbone to the relationship. Teacher are the leaders of the classroom, Bosses are the leadership of their employees, and Parents are the life coaches and teachers of their children. In all these relationships we see a leadership role coming from one side.
In almost all straight relationships we see man and a woman, and the man is often referred to as the” man of the house”, this is because we often see the man as the stronger one, the protector, and the one who takes care of the woman.

That’s what makes the relationship function, right? So why would this not apply to same sex relationships? Just because there are two women or two men I don’t believe that the same unwritten relationship laws do not apply to these relationships. In other words you can be a male and like to shop or like football and you can be a woman and like wrestling or getting your hair and nails done and just like Stephen Mays said, It does make you just a woman or just a man in a same-sex relationship but it doesn’t take away that it’s okay for you to like those things but those strengths and likes do play a part in the relationship and do define the roles of that relationship and break down the person by masculinity and the femininity of the relationship

role.
On one hand, I agree with Stephen Mays that just because you might be a woman who likes masculine hobbies or ideas that it pulls away from the fact that you are not the “girl” in the relationship but I do insist that your hobbies and likes or dislikes play a part in the feminine or masculine role of the relationship and place you into one of those categories. Same-sex couples still have to have some sort of relationship roles that define their relationship just like straight couples do and Stephen Mays had some great opposing views, but a woman can be a woman and in turn be the “guy” in the relationship because she is the emotionally stronger or the leader type.
Relationships are so different and the same in so many ways but no matter if it’s a same-sex relationship or a man and a woman there are still unwritten laws that make relationships what they are today. It does not take away from the woman or the male and the other person it simply just gives the relationship life.