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Exploring the Appeal of Gay Porn for Women: Power Dynamics and Sexual Identity


I noticed that a lot of my straight female friends preferred to watch gay porn. Why is that?

I looked up 'Why women prefer gay porn?'

https://www.psypost.org/2016/04/study-research-why-some-women-prefer-to-watch-male-42190 "Some women told Neville that gay content simply had better production values and more interesting plots. Women also said that male-on-male scenes felt more authentic and that the actors appeared to be genuinely fond of one another. Some women enjoyed that men were the main object of sexual attraction. In addition, not having to worry about the exploitation of female performers was an appealing factor for some women. The different set of power dynamics in gay content was another theme to emerge. Unlike heterosexual porn, in gay porn “neither party can automatically be decreed to be submissive or dominant simply by virtue of penetration,” Neville explained" I think the power dynamic that goes into sexuality that is important when considering sexual identification. Me and friends often have conversations about our confusion of our sexual identities, and most the time we end up asking ourselves.

"Am I homosexual or do I just not like the feeling of being degraded through the social and power dynamic of sexual penetration?" Especially with the way sexuality is projected on porn and media, (that most my generation was raised on) it makes sex a constant power game and more of an act then an experience to be equally shared. I don't think this is something to consider for everyone. But it think it could be a factor. Sometimes it feels like, to sexualize someone is to degrade them. So I don’t blame anyone from removing sexuality as a whole, or being afraid of sexual acts in a romantic relationship. Because by removing sexual actions, you almost secure a type of equality and stability that doesn’t have to be explored. I was listening to Yushi Li saying "As I am a heterosexual female, I am attracted to male bodies." So even though I am attracted to men, I'm not attracted to the sexual power dynamic between men and women, and therefore am not attracted to my own sexuality and feelings. Even though to sexualize is not necessarily to degrade, it feels like that most the time. So for me and my friends, it’s difficult to understand what to do with an attractive man who wants to have sex with you. I haven't cut off attraction but there's a distant gap between attraction and sexual relations. And it's like that for a lot of my female friends. There is a point for some of my friends, where being degraded has become normal and sought after, as if it is a part of male validation. And I think it comes from the normality and comfort of the sexual power dynamic that has been marketed. The narrative flips and to degrade is to be sexual. Yushi Li said "I believe that male bodies are also beautiful." Even if I am attracted to men, I don’t know if I can believe that from the way nudity and sexuality has been taught to me.



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