Same-sex relationship
a romantic or sexual relationship between people of the same sex
A same-sex relationship, also known as same-gender relationship, is a romantic or sexual relationship between people of the same sex or gender.
Some couples in same-sex relationships have children, both biological or non-biological, such as adoptive or foster children, and parent them with their partner.
Same-gender or same-sex marriage refers to the institutionalized recognition of such relationships in the form of a marriage; civil unions exist in some countries where same-sex marriage does not.
Terminology
Historically, same-sex relationships have been referred to as homosexual relationships, gay relationships, or lesbian relationships. This led to exclusion of other members of the LGBTQ+ community and has been described as a form of bisexual or transgender erasure, erasing populations within the LGBTQ+ community.
The 21st century has seen a shift in the language and culture of sex and gender. The phrase same-gender relationship is commonly used synonymously with same-sex relationship, with either phrase being used to reference relationships between people of the same sex or gender interchangeably.
Moving from same-sex relationship to same-gender relationship has been described as removing restrictions on the individuals in a same-gender relationship imposed by sexual orientation, as gender identification is a spectrum.
In history
The lives of many historical figures, including Socrates, Alexander the Great, Lord Byron, Edward II, Hadrian, Julius Caesar, Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo da Vinci, Oscar Wilde, Vita Sackville-West, Alfonsina Storni and Christopher Marlowe are believed to have included love and sexual relationships with people of their own sex. Terms such as gay or bisexual have often been applied to them; some, such as Michel Foucault, regard this as risking the anachronistic introduction of a contemporary construction of sexuality foreign to their times, though others challenge this.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Same-sex relationship” is a romantic or sexual relationship between people of the same sex. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Same-sex, relationship and romantic, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “a romantic or sexual relationship between people of the same sex” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 10, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3242821. The Library of Congress control number is sh85061777. None of the 1 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
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The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Same-sex relationship”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Same-sex relationship primary sources, Same-sex relationship archive and Same-sex research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Same-sex relationship”?
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Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Same-sex relationship” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.