Though critics of same-sex marriage may argue that gay unions will destroy heterosexual marriage, a new article published in The Atlantic makes a strong claim to the contrary: that same-sex marriage may actually help strengthen heterosexual marriage.
The article's author, New America Foundation fellow Liza Mundy, argued that same-sex couples can demonstrate more effective ways of negotiating and dividing up household responsibilities. In an interview with Atlantic senior editor Hanna Rosin published online Wednesday, Mundy said that same-sex couples are better at maintaining egalitarianism than heterosexual couples.
"They can't really bring gender stereotypes, for the most part, into these relationships. So they really have to figure out who's going to do what and negotiate it," Mundy said. "Sure, many couples fall into patterns where whoever's the better cook or likes cooking does the cooking, but you're just starting from a blank slate in terms of figuring out who's going to do what."
Watch the video above to hear more of Rosin and Mundy's interview about what heterosexual couples can learn from same-sex partners.
A 2011 study by the Williams Institute found that about one percent of married or registered same-sex couples get divorced each year, compared to two percent of heterosexual couples. Another 2011 study, by the University of Washington, found that gay and straight couples generally experience the same levels of happiness in their relationships.
Check out the status of gay marriage around the U.S. in the slideshow below.
