There's often a correlation with age. Generally, the younger the guy, the more he wants to have fun without settling down, guys in their 30's may be looking for long term intimacy. There are tons of guys who are looking for long term love, it's just harder to find them.

Seems to me that when it comes to long term stability. There isn't a whole lot of difference between straight and gay relationships these days.
Have you looked at the stats on divorce lately. Sometimes it kinda makes me wonder why gays want the right of marriage so bad. I mean I do understand the desire. It's just that with so many other issues out there for us to deal with. Why add the machinations of divorce court/proceedings to the pile?
Having said all of that. Just like most of the rest of us, I too still hold out hope for that special lifetime someone to come along. Good luck with your own search and never give up hope for yourself.

I think it's possible, but very challenging. The LGBT community faces many challenges that their heterosexual counterparts don't. Many of us have to survive bullying, rejection from family, religion, culture, violence, and no protection from the law. That takes a toll on us.

And that's just us as individuals. It becomes times two when that's also done to our relationships.

Additionally, there's a lot of education, healthy education for gay men to accept a same sex partner as a spouse, and to see their relationship as family.

On top of that, since only recently is when we are starting to see same sex love and gay people in a somewhat positive light, many same sex couples don't have a good sense of what it is to have a relationship with a person of the same gender, and then try to reproduce that roles of a heterosexual couple. That's a setup for failure.

Then there's the way people live now and how lightly people take relationships in general. In the heterosexual community people now marry for the stupidest of reasons (like "I want to have a Star Wars theme wedding"), so marriage and family are no longer regarded as they once were.

It's not easy to maintain a long term relationship nowadays, same sex or not. I have been with my now husband since 2002, and it has been quite challenging at times. What has kept us together have been different things through the years, from inability to pay two mortgages, to physical illness, to love, to honoring our commitment. Not all the times had we decided to stay together for noble reasons; it has been practical reasons that has kept us together.

But now we're a family, and we rely on each other regardless of whatever issue come along.

Hi dsb188,
I really like chris1976's response. THAT is well-spoken! 'Character'seems to be the bottomline to relationship.Even in a heterosexual relationship, if it's "about the sex," it won't last. Sex drives diminish; character qualities, when worked on, strengthen down to a beautiful steel!
And I think the above is the reason why many heterosexuals, who have had a very fulfilling relationship, don't "have a need" for anything more.
And you do mention that other, very significant factor: "'til death do us part'." With the concern of HIV/AIDS, that may come sooner than later. However, there IS A CURE in that arena, at least. Now with character ... that arena is of one's personal, willful choice.
Hope all goes well in your seeking for TRUE Happiness!
Duane

Yes it is possible and I am living evidence of a committed gay relationship. As I get ready to celebrate 22 years I think that things have not changed that radically. Both of us have grown older. Both of us have different views on just about any topic you care to imagine.
Just like straight people we have grown together, he may not be the sauna stud, and I certainly never was. Both of us enjoy our time together and appericate our time alone and we are still about to laugh at the stupid things we do.
My unqualified advice is to not worry. To love and respect yourself and don't under any circumstance compare yourself to either the success or failures of others. Never make a
judgement of another; be ready to accept the good with the bad; the sane with the crazy
And never go to be still fighting, no, stay up all night and fight. You will discover him and when you do you will know.

I can attest that you can if you can find the 'right' man as I know one gay couple who has been together for over a decade. Just because we often see all the break-ups out there publicly does not mean that all couples are doing this kind of behavior. It's like five or so years ago when cigarette smoking was popular. Popularity doesn't equal optimal health. So don't let public media, which is often manipulated, pull you off your track.