More broadly, concern for children, emotional turmoil and loss, financial uncertainty, changing family and social ties and loss of, and desire for, companionship, may arise as they do in any marital crises. For the wife, these would include distress at the rupture in the emotional bond with her husband and feelings of betrayal.
It seems reasonable to assume that the experience of a spouse having same-sex desires resonates with families within which extra-marital affairs occur (e.g. Moreover, a fear of rejection by family, friends, or a religious community can result in suppression and isolation, especially in more conservative or homophobic environments. The altered sexual orientation identity of a spouse may include changes in behaviour, group affiliation, personal values and norms. Stress and anxiety regarding the implications of a gay identity being at odds with their religious faith or community of the couple can occur. Marriages where one partner comes out face the potential stigma of a ‘failed marriage’ in addition to the possibility of homophobia. Yet little is known about the experiences of the heterosexual spouse. When a husband ‘comes out’ as gay (accepting and revealing oneself as gay), it impacts the family unit.
