The sexual marketplace is brutal. Stuttering is a sign of incompetence and generally the more incompetent you are the less ‚successful’ you are in the vicious cockfight that is dating. I think a huge issue in relationships for people who stutter is masking stuttering. I have enjoyed a handful of romantic relationships (m29) and the ones (or rather one) relationship where I did not hide my stuttering was the most loving and long lasting. The others progressed ok but there came to be a feeling that something was lacking, some kind of deeper connection, which, I believe, only comes with being completely vulnerable and honest with the other person (very difficult when your confidence/self worth is on the line, rejection can be agony!). I kind of hinted about stuttering to the first and the other I never told them I stuttered (I was completely fluent in English with her, but avoided words/speaking in her mother tongue which I stutter like a maniac in). That I was effectively having to wear a mask all the time in these relationships was why I don’t think they ever could be deepened. But tbh I don’t think this mask wearing is so different for any other relationship, people hide their true vulnerabilities all the time. For example I have an excellent friend who presented extremely well when meeting women for the first time but found that they would sometimes lose interest when they discovered his lazy/inattentiveness (he has very strong ADHD and sleeps a ton, but now in a wonderful relationship!) I think our vulnerabilities are more pronounced with stuttering which makes self acceptance/ exposing our deformity to others all the more difficult. But being honest about it just saves you from entering into relationships that won’t last (houses built on sand won’t stand etc.) and further disillusionment. You could say that if you can hide it such a revelation should only be exposed later in the relationship. Ultimately I think love (specifically the agapic kind) is about both accepting people warts and all as well as celebrating their good qualities. The Trouble is with stuttering is that it is quite a large wart for people to accept!