The participation in the Gay Male Relationships Study tonight was very cool. There were five of us participating, and it was held in a chat room. Only four screen names appeared in the chat room, though, as one of them represented two folks who were a couple. They were 57 and 49, I believe, and I think they had been together 25 years. There was also a 29 year old, and a 24 year old. One of the guys, the 24-year old, had a screen name that is on my AIM "buddy list." Unfortunately, I can't remember who it is, though. I know (obviously) that it's not someone I know all that well.

The chat session started off with the moderator asking each of us to state our age, how long we were in our current or most recent relationship, and the term we used to describe the person we were in the relationship with.

The next item was, "What are the elements that turn a relationship from "boyfriend" (or "dating") to "partner" (or "committed").

Other things discussed included monogamy, civil unions, and being out to your families and friends about your relationship.

All in all it was very interesting. I got to say everything I wanted to say first, as 1) I am an extrovert, and 2) I type 95 WPM. LOL.