Relationship: Why same-sex couples are no different from heterosexual ones

The kids are all right: Researchers found that households with same-sex parents show no difference from those with different-sex parents in terms of spouse or partner relationships, parent-child relationships, children's general health, emotional difficulties, coping and learning behaviour. A team of researchers analysed 95 same-sex parent families to 95 different sex parent families based on criteria like education, location and race.

All pictures for representational purposes

The findings showed no differences between the children of the two groups in terms of spouse or partner relationships, parent-child relationships, or any of the child outcomes. However, the study also found that the same-sex parents were more stressed out those different-sex parents. But this could, ironically, be a result of the "cultural spotlight on child outcomes in same-sex parent families", one of the researchers noted.

Same-sex couples want to tie the knot too: Just like different sex couples, most same sex couples believe in marriage to bring in social legitimacy, legal benefits and financial protection, finds a recent online survey conducted in the United States.

The survey that included participants from 47 states of the US, excluding Alaska, Idaho and South Dakota, showed 90 percent of the respondents felt that the option to marry was important to their relationship. While 91 percent of the respondents said legal marriage was important for legal benefits and financial protection, 36 percent said marriage was necessary for relationship legitimacy. The results were published in an online journal.

The survey also found that many same-sex couples view living together as significant because it symbolises and solidifies their commitment to their relationship, possibly because marriage has never been an option. The online survey included 526 individuals who reported they were in a committed, same-sex relationship for at least six months.