Why A Lot Of Gay Men Are Attracted To Straight Men

Pornhub’s annual year-in-review always offers tantalizing insights into what it is that turns people on—and last year’s review was no exception. I recently wrote about some of the top search results on the site and discussed the psychology behind them here. However, there was something else in last year’s Pornhub report that caught my eye that I thought deserved its own article: the fact that “straight guys” was the most-viewed category on Pornhub’s gay site.

What’s the deal with that?

I just published an article exploring the different theories on why so many gay men eroticize straight men over at TONIC. I discuss what I was able to dig up in the scientific literature, but I also talked to two therapists who specialize in LGBTQ+ issues for their insights.

There are at least four possible theories: (1) attraction to masculinity (straight men on average are more likely to conform to masculine gender roles), (2) attraction to BDSM (the “straight guy” porn consumed on gay sites features a lot of themes of dominance and submission), (3) wanting what you can’t have (i.e., being turned on by “forbidden fruit” or something that’s taboo ), and (4) a desire for acceptance from a group that often rejects gay men.

Check out the full article over at TONIC, where I go into more detail about each of these theories. Are there other hypotheses or theories you would add to the list? Weigh in with your comments below.

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Image Source: 123RF/Александр Марко

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