The Smart Divorce® Weblog

Out of the closet: support for the straight spouse

August 22, 2010 at 9:17 pm Leave a comment

Just because your spouse came out of the closet,

doesn’t mean you have to go in.

I have had several individuals in my divorce consulting practice tell me that their spouse declared they were gay. They felt alone – but this is not a rare event. While Canadian figures are not available, conservative estimates indicate that roughly two million lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals in the United States have married someone of the opposite sex. When these partners come out of the closet, one third of these relationships break up right away, a third stay together for a year and then separate, and another third commit to making it work – although three years later, only half of this last group of relationships are still intact.

Please click on the click to read more and a reality check:

http://www.more.ca/relationships/single-life/out-of-the-closet-support-for-the-straight-spouse/a/31850

I wrote this article for More magazine’s online edition. More magazine is a publication which celebrates women over 40. Men should also feel comfortable reading this article as it offers great tips that apply to both men and women. I’ve written many articles for this site. If you would like to browse through this magazine click on the following link: www.more.ca http://www.more.ca/relationships/single-life

Getting through these issues and feelings, and effectively coping can take anywhere from 3 – 6 years to properly heal. Statistics indicate that it takes one year of healing for every five years of marriage. And, once this process takes place, for many, there is a realization that their partner really did marry them out of love, and not to hide in a closet — they fully intended to make it work. So, while these couples cannot be lovers, perhaps they can still be good friends.

Entry filed under: Deborah Moskovitch, divorce, emotional divorce, emotions of divorce, grieving, healing post divorce; moving on, LGBT and divorce, Magazine articles, More magazine, More.ca article. Tags: .