There’s a new sex trend where straight-identifying men are having sex with one another. It’s interesting because it sheds light on how our identities are far more complex than labels make it seem. Sociologists and researchers have taken notice. They have gone out of their way to find these men to talk about them for various research studies.
Straight-Identifying. Many sociologists and researchers are perplexed by a new sex trend. Straight-identifying men are having sex with one another.
Definitions. These researchers and sociologists have decided to find out more. They’re very interested in how these men’s sexual activities into their definitions of heterosexuality.
Sexuality Study. Héctor Carrillo and Amanda Hoffman of Northwestern University have published their research on the subject in the journal Sexualities. The researchers found 100 different straight guys and interviewed them on how and why they do it.
Definitely Attracted to Women. The men told the researchers that they’re definitely attracted to women. But aside from just sex, they have absolutely zero attraction to other men.
Physical and Emotional Attraction. The researchers wrote, “They define sexual attraction as a combination of physical and emotional attraction, and they assess that their interest in women includes both, while their interest in men is purely or mainly sexual, not romantic or emotional.”
Penis. The only part of other men that interests these men is the penis. There’s nothing else appealing about a man’s body to them.
Healthy Sexual Imagination. One of the subjects, Reggie, told the researchers, “I know what I like. I like pussy. I like women … the more the merrier … I would kiss a woman. ANYWHERE. I can barely hug a man … I do have a healthy sexual imagination and wonder about other things in the sexual realm I’ve never done … Sometimes I get naughty and explore … That’s how I see it.”
Women. “Women are hot … I can see a beautiful woman walk down the street and I instantly can become hard and get horny. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a guy walking by and got a boner. Also, I would not want to kiss or make out with them or love them. They would be more like a sexual experience,” Charlie, another subject, explained.
Sexual Identities. Carillo and Hoffman continued, “All this contributes to their sense that they qualify as being called straight or heterosexual, even when some also recognize that their sexualities do indeed differ from exclusive heterosexuality, which in turn leads them to adopt secondary descriptors of their sexual identities.”
Labels. Most of the men recognize that their activities may make them seem bi- or pansexual to others, they don’t like to use that label publicly. Some of them privately call themselves that though.
Not Openly Bi. “I am not openly bisexual to society except in sexual situations … I don’t have relationships with men; I am in a relationship with my wife and only love her. [I’m bisexual] only with men behind closed doors,” Dustin explained.
Kinsey Scale. Simon told the researchers, “I think everybody is a little bi. Isn’t that what this research is about? There’s the Kinsey scale … It’s not like Bush saying you’re either with us or with the terrorists. I think I’m probably bi but what I present to the world is a heterosexual man. Internally I’m bi, but that’s not something most people know. I’m not ashamed, but the majority of people are ignorant and close-minded.”
No Advantages. Simon’s weird George W. Bush reference does hold an important point though. Many of the subjects “see no real personal or social advantages that would stem from publicly adopting an identity as bisexual or gay,” according to Carillo and Hoffman.
Threatened. Carillo and Hoffman noted that many of the men seemed more threatened by the idea of being dominated by a steady female partner than by a male one. “...Perhaps because it could be construed as a temporary fantasy, instead of meaning a permanent change in the gender balance.”
Restrictive. In the end, it really doesn’t matter how these men identify. This subject just goes to show that labels can be incredibly restrictive for many.
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