Does gay marriage transcend the 'traditional' gender roles of a marriage?

We all have images that our minds have conjured up about married life - what it looks like, it's structure, the roles each partner plays - and it's fair to say that many of these images are based on stereotypical gender roles. Ones that are portrayed by society, told to you as a young child, a structure you are raised into, books you may read and ideas presented to you through religious teachings. Gender is embedded into individuals from the moment they are born: are you a blue or a pink baby-grow?

Gender roles very much exist within the traditions of marriage, too. The woman: the virgin bride in a white dress, the father: giving away his daughter, and then within the marriage itself, the wife: the cook, the cleaner, the mother, and the husband: the breadwinner, the strong, authoritative one.

"Recent research has suggested that homosexual couples have more equal relationships that than heterosexual couples."

Whilst gender and marriage is a little more fluid in its roles today, gender stereotypes are still mainly adhered to.

With same-sex marriage now legal in England, Wales and Scotland it is interesting to see if this has changed gender roles in relationships and marriages.

Recent research has suggested that homosexual couples have more equal relationships that than heterosexual couples. The majority of our research provided us with the same outcome.

'For Better or For Worse' spoke to a young lesbian living in Yorkshire, England, on her views and experiences of gender roles in same-sex relationships...

Reanne said she wasn't surprised by the research that suggested same-sex relationships are more equal. She explained to 'For Better or For Worse' that someone still has to do the jobs that stereotypically a man would do. If there are two of the same gender in a relationship, she went on to say, gender then doesn't mean what it might in heterosexual relationships.

However, as the research suggests, there is usually one person who tends to end up doing more of the chores.

Janey, from Twitter, who has been in a civil partnership for 10 years with another woman explained to us her situation whose relationship relates to this tendency:

"We have as equal a partnership at possible. But I'm quite disabled so she has to do a lot for me so I do depend on her. My partner is very messy, so before [my illness] I would be tidying after her. I don't work so many things mainly land on me, as I have more time."

As with many couples who have only one person who works, Jane finds herself more often than not doing the chores. It is easy for external members of their relationship to see Jane as the 'femme' lesbian, which she doesn't identify as.

Jane says that the way they live has nothing to do with their gender but other external factors like health, money and physical ability.

Interestingly, when Jane described her civil partnership ceremony to 'For Better or For Worse' she told us about how both her and her partner had matching wedding dresses and both of their father's made a speech. It was a great way for them to play equal roles in the day.

John, a gay man from Northern England living in Paris talked to us about his viewpoint on gender:

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"We are asking the wrong questions here. Gender shouldn't matter. Gay marriage already transcends gender traditions by allowing two of the same-sex to join together. Whilst I agree that there is a biological gender of every person, that's a fact, gender is irrelevant to relationships and should be to society. It's about personality. Personal preference. Personal likes and dislikes."

"Gender shouldn't matter. Gay marriage already

transcends gender traditions by allowing two

of the same-sex to join together. Gender is irrelevant.

It's about personality. Personal preference"

If England, Wales and Scotland have already recognised that marriage can be between anyone - despite gender - then gender roles should begin to break down in relationships, and perhaps we will see this consequently in wider society, too.

We'd love to hear your views on gender, roles within relationships and marriage traditions.

Get in touch and join the discussion via our contact page!