A recent survey which asked what gay men feel about cheating and infidelity has been published.

In general, 41% of those surveyed believed that people make mistakes and were willing to forgive and forget. In contrast, 40% believe that  ‘Once a cheat, always a cheat’. Though the results indicate a relatively even divide between the two camps, there was marked difference in opinion between the ages.

Those aged 18-24 appear to be more liberal in their attitudes towards cheating with only 34% of them refusing to believe a leopard could change his spots. This stance gradually gains support through the age groups until it peaks at 54% of those aged 61 and above. The trend appears in reverse for those who accept that people make mistakes, with 46% of those aged 18-24 believing mistakes happen, compared to only 24% of those aged 61 and above.

Twenty per cent of gay couples argue that it is only cheating if you get caught whilst a further 22% of married gay men adopt the same view. Men who describe themselves as 'married' are largely married to women; consequently this may affect their perception of cheating if it is with someone outside of their dominant sexual preference.

One respondent suggested:
“It depends on how you are defining [the word] ‘cheat’.  A cheat is usually the result of an unhappy relationship […] Of course there are people who always cheat. This can be solved by personally therapy, and is generally related to upbringing. It’s a complicated issue, but one that can only be solved by philosophy and psychology.”

Additional breakdowns revealed:
44% of gay men responded 'Definitely' compared to 32% of Bisexual and 28% of Curious men.
Men in Aberdeen are more likely to forgive, with 83% citing mistakes happen.
Cheats should steer clear of Edinburgh with only 13% willing to forgive and forget.
'Large' men (52%) are more than twice as likely to ditch a cheat than 'Very Slim' guys (21%).

The research was conducted by ManCentral.com
who polled 1,998 members over a 24 hour period.