It takes a man to put me on the bottom.pdf (392.21 kB)
"It takes a man to put me on the bottom": gay men's experiences of masculinity and anal intercourse
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 09:24 authored by James Peter Ravenhill, Richard O de VisserIn anal intercourse between gay men, men who are typically insertive (‘tops’) are often perceived as, and may identify as, more masculine than those who are typically receptive (‘bottoms’). ‘Versatile’ men, who may adopt either position, may be perceived as more gender-balanced and may transcend the gender-role stereotypes associated with self-labelling as top or bottom. The aim of this study was to explore how gay men’s beliefs about masculinity were associated with their beliefs about the gendered nature of sexual self-labels, and their behavior in anal intercourse. Individual semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 17, UK-based gay men. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis identified that perceptions of tops and bottoms as gendered social identities varied depending on the extent to which gay men subscribed to the mandates of ‘hegemonic masculinity’, the dominant masculinity in Western society. The findings also suggested that some gay men differentiated between top and bottom as social identities and topping and bottoming as gendered behaviors. This had implications for gay men’s behaviors in anal intercourse. It is suggested that future efforts to engage with gay men about their sexual behavior should account for their beliefs regarding the gender role stereotypes associated with gay sexual self-labels.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Accepted version
Journal
Journal of Sex ResearchISSN
0022-4499Publisher
Taylor & FrancisExternal DOI
Issue
8Volume
55Page range
1033-1047Department affiliated with
- Psychology Publications
Research groups affiliated with
- Social and Applied Psychology Research Group Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2017-12-15First Open Access (FOA) Date
2018-12-08First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2017-12-15Usage metrics
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