Beyond Norms: Exploring Connection, Identity, and Resilience in Gay Male Relationships
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Authors
di loreto, phil
Issue Date
2025-10-08
Type
Capstone
Language
en
Keywords
queer , gay , relationships , couples , minority stress , attachment
Alternative Title
Abstract
This capstone explores the psychological, relational, and sociocultural processes that shape intimacy and resilience in gay male relationships. Guided by the primary research question, what processes support connection, resilience, and fulfillment among gay men, this project critically reviews the literature through three intersecting frameworks: attachment theory, minority stress theory, and queer relational perspectives. The review examines how attachment dynamics interact with minority stress, how heteronormativity and mononormativity constrain relational possibilities, and how diverse structures such as ethical non-monogamy expand models of intimacy. Findings suggest that while gay men face unique challenges including internalized stigma, concealment, and rejection sensitivity, they also demonstrate resilience through humour, adaptability, chosen family, and identity-affirming practices. Chapter 3 proposes an integrative, attachment-based group therapy program informed by Emotionally Focused Therapy, Gottman’s relational repair research, and Jessica Fern’s HEARTS resilience framework. The program aims to strengthen emotional safety, repair attachment injuries, affirm diverse relational structures, and reduce the impact of minority stress. Ethical and diversity considerations are addressed in alignment with professional codes of conduct. This work concludes that identity-affirming, culturally responsive therapeutic models are essential for supporting gay male clients and calls for more longitudinal, intersectional, and strengths-based research on gay male relationships.
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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States
openAccess
openAccess