When do you have your first kiss with a boy? And when do you go to bed? The first date? Before? And then, how long do you wait to be with this boyfriend of yours? Homosexual couples entering their second and third years of relationship are considered to be in the nesting stage. As the name suggests, nesting is all about being domestic. Couples in the nesting stage may find that this is the time when important discussions about the future take place. Examples include identifying goals of a joint relationship, such as buying a house, keeping a pet, or adopting a child.
It's also during the nesting stage that many gay couples make the decision to be exclusive or open. When a gay couple has been together for 3 to 5 years, they are in the maintenance phase. A key feature of maintenance is to establish independence. Because sex becomes less frequent and less intense during this stage, some couples may reconsider monogamy.
It's also during the maintenance phase when couples are most likely to bring in a third person. That doesn't mean it's going to happen. When gay couples have 5 to 10 years of relationship, they are in the construction stage. This particular stage is considered a major milestone because many of the problems of previous years have been resolved.
Gay men who are in the construction phase can sometimes find this time period challenging. The reasons are multifactorial, including a sense of relational boredom and complacency. When gay couples are together for 11 to 20 years, they are in the liberation stage. Here, both parties have generally accepted their partners for who they are and realize that trying to change them is futile.
When a gay couple reaches their 20s and beyond, they are in the renewal stage. Reaching this point for many is rare and beautiful. While gay men are much better than heterosexual couples when it comes to ignoring the age difference between partners, there are still some challenges that come with dating someone who is 15 years older or younger than you. That said, when it comes to dating, how “out” (or not) you are is likely to affect the way you go out, as well as your dating experience.
If you're specifically interested in dating other men and non-binary people, check out specific drinking spaces for gays and queers. In fact, Saynt recommends proactively combating dating fatigue by taking a break if your last few dates weren't anything stellar or if you're feeling sick of your past relationship.
