Gay Dutch Couples Divorcing Same as Heterosexual Couples

Gay couples in the Netherlands divorce at about the same rate as heterosexual couples. Here’s a description of the report on it from 365gay.com.

Gay marriage became legal in 2001 (the Netherlands was the first country to do it). It became The study from the Netherland Central Bureau for Statistics indicates that gay couples are divorcing at about one percent per year, about the same as heterosexual couples.

The authors of the study are quick to point out, however, that it’s too soon to make conclusions based on this one study. Among other things:

  • They studied a relatively short period, from April 2001 through December 2003.
  • They studied a relatively small sample of marriages, just 5,751 marriaes.
  • The gay couples in the study were the first to take advantage of the Dutch law after waiting a long time, so they may have been unusually committed couples.
  • Gay couples in general are more likely to have dual incomes and no children. These kinds of couples are more likely to divorce among the heterosexual population.
  • Lesbian couples tend to divorce at a slightly higher rate than gay male couples.

    And here’s a good quote from the article for you: “Although the legalization of gay marriage caused great debate here, the issue has quickly faded, and the Dutch viewed recent controversies in the United States with bemusement.”

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