JOINT GAY/STRAIGHT COUPLES RETREAT EMPHASIZES SIMILARITIES: From the Washington Blade, D.C.'s main gay newspaper

It is often said that the key to making any relationship work is good communication. An interfaith group is hoping to put that concept to the test in early January, by focusing on what gay and straight couples have in common during a retreat in suburban Maryland.

This "Day of Couple Unity" will bring together about eight gay couples and eight straight couples to discuss ways to strengthen committed relationships, the lead organizer said. The gathering takes place Jan. 10 at the Meeting House in Columbia, Md.

The event is the brainchild of Pamela El-Dinary of Clarksville, Md., who has been married for 13 years. ...

"One thing I was really clear on was I didn't want this to be a discussion about what is it to be gay versus married," she says. "It's more about talking about being a couple, and the joys of that."

But, at the same time, she says she also realizes that some of those gay-versus-straight issues will most likely pop up. With recent legal battles for equal marriage rights for gay couples being fought in Massachusetts, Arizona, New Jersey and Canada, the legal differences between married straight couples and unwed gay couples are drawing increased attention from the national media.

Flaherty says the event should underscore the fact that couples of all types are essentially the same when it comes to matters of the heart.

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posted by Eve at 11:02 AM | link

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