Abstract
Although the study of masculinity and gay and bisexual men is growing, there continues to be a gap in the literature concerning how aspects of hegemonic (or dominant) masculinity relate to the relationship satisfaction of men and their male partners. Through printed and word-of-mouth advertisements in GLBTQ gathering places and on email listservs and social media sites (i.e., Facebook) serving gay and bisexual men across geographic regions, religions, ethnicities, and recreational activities, participants were recruited to take an on-line survey. The data from 93 participants was statistically analyzed using a hierarchical multiple regression approach to investigate how adherence to dominant expectations of masculinity (Male Role Norms Inventory – Revised; Levant et al., 2010), Restricted Emotionality (RE) and Restricted Affectionate Behavior between Men (RABBM; Gender Role Conflict Scale; O'Neil et al., 1986), an inability to communicate one's emotional experience (Normative Male Alexithymia Scale; Levant et al., 2006), the level to which one has come-out to his community (Outness Inventory; Mohr & Fassinger, 2000), and the internalized negative feelings about homosexuality (Internalized Homonegativity Inventory for Gay Men; Mayfield, 2001) predict a man's satisfaction in his relationship with a man (Relationship Assessment Scale; Hendrick, 1988). Internalized Homonegativity and Restricted Emotionality statistically significantly predicted relationship satisfaction. These findings illustrate how the socialization process that discourages men from appearing weak or feminine is internalized and negatively impacts the satisfaction men experience in their romantic or sexual relationships with men. Implications and limitations of the current study are discussed in-depth.