lilTanker saidI'd a ten year relationship with a guy, met him when I was 18.
we had ten lovely years together.
anyway. You just need to meet better guys
Agreed. Plus it varies by the man. Some MIGHT be too young for an LTR at 25, just because of their level of previous experience, and possibly their degree of maturity. But other men are perfectly fine dating at 25.
Another reason for that "too young" advice is the belief you touched on, applied to straights as well, that marriage or an LTR is like solitary confinement. You'll never be allowed "out" again to meet other guys for fun, you'll never see the world of sexual promiscuity again, your LTR will be more a sentence than a joy. And many men do ask themselves that question: "Do I want to be chained to this guy for life, when I'm only 25?"
Well, some men do, and some don't. The advice you're getting may be assuming you fall into the "live free or die" camp. But really, it's just dating after all, not speaking your marriage vows, and I don't see anything wrong with it. Rather, I think a guy SHOULD be dating by 25.
And BTW, about half our gay partnered friends (and some legally married) have been together since their early 20s, currently aged from their late 40s to 60s. Dating young certainly worked well for them.