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Gay sex roles

January 22, 2023

"Power bottom" redirects here. For the band, see Pwr Bttm.
Not to be confused with Top, bottom, switch.

In human sexuality, top, bottom, and versatile are roles during sexual activity, especially between two men. A top is usually a person who penetrates, a bottom is usually one who receives penetration, and someone who is versatile engages in either or both roles. These terms may be elements of self-identity that indicate an individual's usual preference and habits, but might also describe broader sexual identities and social roles.[1]

The man on the right is the "top" and the man on the left is the "bottom".

Top is known formally as insertive sex role, and bottom is known formally as receptive sex role.

The terms top and bottom do not refer to the literal physical position during sex.

For men who have sex with men and do not engage in anal sex, the term "side" has been proposed and has seen commercial use.

Top

 
19th-century erotic painting depicting Hadrian "topping" Antinous (detail), by Paul Avril

A top is usually a person who engages in the penetrative role during sexual activity; for men who have sex with men (MSMs), this often involves penetration using the penis during anal or oral sex.[1] Top is also used as a verb meaning "to penetrate another". Top may also describe a broader personal identity involving dominance in a romantic or sexual relationship; however, this stipulation is not a requisite element of being a top.

Several related terms exist. With regard to gay male sexuality, a total top is one who assumes an exclusively penetrative role for sex.[2] A power top is one noted for their great skill or aggressiveness in topping. A service top is "one who tops under the direction of an eager bottom".[3] A versatile top is one who prefers to top but who bottoms occasionally.[4] The terms penetrative partner[5] or giver are synonyms of top, created to describe the act of penetrating without implying non-egalitarian relations among participants.[citation needed]

Trevor Hart of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that self-identified tops were more likely to act as the penetrative partner in other sexual activities (besides anal intercourse), including oral sex and sex toy play.[6]

Bottom

A bottom is usually the receptive partner during sexual penetration. This frequently refers to MSM who are penetrated via the anus during anal sex.[1] Bottom is also used as a verb meaning "to be penetrated by another, whether anally or orally". Bottom may also describe a wider social context of submission within a romantic or sexual relationship, though this element does not apply to all people who prefer to bottom.

In gay male sexuality, a total bottom is someone who assumes an exclusively receptive role during anal or oral intercourse. A power bottom is someone who aggressively enjoys being the receptive partner. A versatile bottom is one who prefers to bottom but who tops occasionally.[7] The terms receiver or receptive partner may be preferred by some. An oral bottom is the exclusively receptive partner in oral sex, providing the penetrative partner, or oral top, with unreciprocated fellatio or irrumatio.

Versatile

Versatile, or vers, refers to a person who enjoys both topping and bottoming and may alternate between the two in sexual situations.[1][8][9] Flip-flop or flip fuck commonly describes switching from top to bottom during one sexual encounter between two men.[10] Each participant penetrates the other and is penetrated in his turn.

Versatility is a concept of lifestyle.[11] Versatility, though, is not limited to the simple acts of anal, oral, or vaginal penetration, but also includes the splitting of duties and responsibilities in the relationship.[12]

The reciprocal scenario, where both men take turns fucking each other, is often exercised as a celebration of equality. What sets this scenario apart from the others is the versatility of the men involved. Versatility is a unique and important feature of male anal sex. Some men consider it liberating; ... Versatility to them is akin to speaking two different languages. It requires a special kind of playfulness, creativity, curiosity, and coordination.

— Steven G. Underwood, Gay Men and anal eroticism: tops, bottoms, and versatiles, Harrington Park Press 2003

According to some, living a versatile lifestyle implies a certain openness to new things and an opposition to labels, stereotypes and generalizations. Therefore, this concept differs from heterosexual relationships where sexual compatibility does not begin with guessing who will end up as top or bottom.[1] In self descriptions of men seeking sex with other men, they may refer to themselves as a versatile tops or versatile bottoms in addition to using other terms.

A 2009 Austrian study on gay pornography has shown that at least 82.4% of all men performing in the male porn industry are versatile at some point during their career. In this study, the performances of 5,556 actors were considered. 10.8% performed only in the top role, 6.8% only as bottoms. The study also found that the actor with the larger penis was more likely to act as the top.[13]

Side

The term side has been proposed by The Huffington Post contributor Joe Kort[14] for gay men who are not interested in anal sex.

In May 2022, Grindr added Side as a position option as opposed to Top, Bottom, or Versatile.[15]

Prevalence

A tally of 55,464 profiles on gay.com from the United States showed that 26.46% preferred top, while 31.92% preferred bottom, and the largest group (41.62%) preferred versatile. The preferences seemed to vary by state, however. In Wyoming, for example, 16% preferred top, 44% preferred bottom, and 40% preferred versatile. In West Virginia, tops outnumbered bottoms by a slim margin (32% top, 29% bottom, and 39% versatile). In Oregon, "versatile" profiles made up nearly half (48.42%).[16]

A study of men who have sex with men found only 37.2% of participants had engaged in anal sex, while 72.7% had participated in oral sex and 68.4% in partnered masturbation, putting "sides" in the majority.[17]

Other

General

In the hanky code, a person flagging the top, or active, role would wear the hanky in the left pocket, and the bottom, or passive, role on the right. Acts which were not divisible into distinct roles, however, such as "69" or "anything", followed a pattern in which one flagged interest by wearing the hanky on the left and absence of interest by wearing it on the right, and preferences that did not relate to sexual mechanics, such as uniform fetishism or prostitution, followed a pattern in which the seeker flagged on the right and the object of desire flagged on the left.[18]

The cowboy position is anal sex in which the bottom straddles the top.[19] The position is often cited as being advantageous for bottoms who are new to anal sex, as it allows the receiving partner to lower himself on to the other's penis at his own pace.[20]

Alternative terminology

Other terms for top and bottom include active and passive, and pitcher and catcher.[21][22][5] The intended meanings of active vs. passive in reference to oral sex can be unclear, however.[23] Switch is sometimes used for versatile.[24]

Role vs. position among sexualities

The terms top, bottom and versatile do not necessarily refer literally to physical position during sex.[25] For example, if the inserting partner lies on his back and the receptive partner straddles him, the inserting partner is still considered the top, and the receptive partner the bottom, despite their reverse physical arrangement.

See also

References

Notes
  1. ^ a b c d e Steven Gregory Underwood (2003). Gay men and anal eroticism: tops, bottoms, and versatiles. Psychology Press. ISBN 1-56023-375-3. from the original on 2021-03-10. Retrieved 2011-12-02.
  2. ^ Gremore, Graham (4 May 2015). "What Do You Do When Your Total Top Boyfriend Refuses To Bottom?". Queerty. from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  3. ^ Rodriguez, Carissa (13 May 2015). "It's Symptomatic". Document Journal. from the original on 1 August 2015. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  4. ^ Versatile Top 2012-01-25 at the Wayback Machine. Gaylife.about.com (2012-01-01). Retrieved on 2012-01-09.
  5. ^ a b Peter M. Davies; Ford C. I. Hickson; Peter Weatherburn; Andrew J. Hunt (31 October 2013). Sex Gay Men & AIDS. Routledge. p. 120. ISBN 978-1-135-72249-4.
  6. ^ Bering, Jesse. . Scientific American. Archived from the original on 2011-03-19. Retrieved 2011-01-20.
  7. ^ Versatile Bottom 2012-01-25 at the Wayback Machine. Gaylife.about.com (2012-01-01). Retrieved on 2012-01-09.
  8. ^ Goodreau, SM; Peinado, J; Goicochea, P; Vergara, J; Ojeda, N; Casapia, M; Ortiz, A; Zamalloa, V; et al. (2007). "Role versatility among men who have sex with men in urban Peru". Journal of Sex Research. 44 (3): 233–9. doi:10.1080/00224490701443676. PMID 17879166. S2CID 13334957. from the original on 2013-10-20. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
  9. ^ "Männer, die sowohl passiven als auch aktiven Analsex praktizieren, nennt man versatile." 2012-02-26 at the Wayback Machine Georg Pfau, Präventionsmedizin für den Mann, Linz 2009
  10. ^ Michael D. Smith, David W. Seal; Seal (2008). "Motivational Influences on the Safer Sex Behavior of Agency-based Male Sex Workers". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 37 (5): 845–53. doi:10.1007/s10508-008-9341-1. PMC 5454495. PMID 18288599.
  11. ^ Levine, Martin P.; Kimmel, Michael S. (1998). Gay Macho: The Life and Death of the homosexual Clone. New York: New York University Press.
  12. ^ Jay, Karla; Young, Allen (1979). The gay report: Lesbians and gay men speak out about sexual experiences and lifestyles. New York: Summit. ISBN 0-671-40013-4.
  13. ^ Michelides, Christian: Männlichkeitskonstruktionen der Pornografie zur Jahrtausendwende, Wien 2009
  14. ^ Guys on the 'Side': Looking Beyond Gay Tops and Bottoms 2013-12-25 at the Wayback Machine Huffingtonpost.com Retrieved 2014-10-02
  15. ^ Farber, Jim (June 20, 2022). "Rise of the sides: how Grindr finally recognized gay men who aren't tops or bottoms". The Guardian. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  16. ^ Best states for tops, bottoms, versatiles 2017-10-27 at the Wayback Machine. Straightacting.com. Retrieved on 2012-01-09.
  17. ^ Rosenberger, Joshua; Reece, Michael; Schick, Vanessa; Herbenick, Debby; Novak, David; Van Der Pol, Barbara; Fortenberry, J. Dennis (August 24, 2011). "Sexual Behaviors and Situational Characteristics of Most Recent Male-Partnered Sexual Event among Gay and Bisexually Identified Men in the United States". The Journal of Sexual Medicine. Wiley. 8 (11): 3040–3050. doi:10.1111/j.1743-6109.2011.02438.x. PMID 21883941. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  18. ^ "Gay Hanky Codes". from the original on 2011-10-30. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
  19. ^ The Vada Guide to Anal Sex for Men 2019-12-29 at the Wayback Machine Vada Magazine. Retrieved 2018-08-27.
  20. ^ Pink News Explainer: The Best Gay Sex Positions 2019-12-29 at the Wayback Machine Pink News. Retrieved 2018-08-27.
  21. ^ Bering, Jesse. "Top scientists get to the bottom of gay male sex role preferences". Scientific American Blog Network. from the original on 2019-11-17. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  22. ^ "Neither here nor there: breaking free of gay stereotypes". The Bryant Archway. from the original on 2020-02-26. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  23. ^ Bell, Robin (1999-02-13). "Homosexual men and women". BMJ: British Medical Journal. 318 (7181): 452–455. doi:10.1136/bmj.318.7181.452. ISSN 0959-8138. PMC 1114912. PMID 9974466.
  24. ^ "What Does It Mean to Be a "Bottom" or "Submissive" in Lesbian Sex?". Autostraddle. 2018-07-10. from the original on 2020-02-26. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  25. ^ Topping or Bottoming – How To Know If You're A Top Or Bottom 2011-11-14 at the Wayback Machine. Gaylife.about.com (2012-01-01). Retrieved on 2012-01-09.
Bibliography
  • Dossie Easton, Janet W. Hardy. The New Topping Book. Greenery Press, 2003. ISBN 1-890159-36-0.
  • Person, Ethel S. / Terestman, Nettie / Myers, Wayne A. / Goldberg, Eugene L. / Salvadori, Carol: Gender differences in sexual behaviors and fantasies in a college population, 1989, erschienen in: Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, Bd. 15, Nr. 3, 1989, P. 187–198
  • Janus, Samuel S. / Janus, Cynthia L., 1993 The Janus Report on Sexual Behavior, Wiley, New York
  • Charles Moser, in Journal of Social Work and Human Sexuality 1988, (7;1, P.43–56)


January 22, 2023
roles, power, bottom, redirects, here, band, bttm, confused, with, bottom, switch, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, this, article, needs, additional, cit. Power bottom redirects here For the band see Pwr Bttm Not to be confused with Top bottom switch This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Gay sex roles news newspapers books scholar JSTOR July 2015 Learn how and when to remove this template message The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject You may improve this article discuss the issue on the talk page or create a new article as appropriate November 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Learn how and when to remove this template message In human sexuality top bottom and versatile are roles during sexual activity especially between two men A top is usually a person who penetrates a bottom is usually one who receives penetration and someone who is versatile engages in either or both roles These terms may be elements of self identity that indicate an individual s usual preference and habits but might also describe broader sexual identities and social roles 1 The man on the right is the top and the man on the left is the bottom Top is known formally as insertive sex role and bottom is known formally as receptive sex role The terms top and bottom do not refer to the literal physical position during sex For men who have sex with men and do not engage in anal sex the term side has been proposed and has seen commercial use Contents 1 Top 2 Bottom 3 Versatile 4 Side 5 Prevalence 6 Other 6 1 General 6 2 Alternative terminology 6 3 Role vs position among sexualities 7 See also 8 ReferencesTop Edit 19th century erotic painting depicting Hadrian topping Antinous detail by Paul Avril A top is usually a person who engages in the penetrative role during sexual activity for men who have sex with men MSMs this often involves penetration using the penis during anal or oral sex 1 Top is also used as a verb meaning to penetrate another Top may also describe a broader personal identity involving dominance in a romantic or sexual relationship however this stipulation is not a requisite element of being a top Several related terms exist With regard to gay male sexuality a total top is one who assumes an exclusively penetrative role for sex 2 A power top is one noted for their great skill or aggressiveness in topping A service top is one who tops under the direction of an eager bottom 3 A versatile top is one who prefers to top but who bottoms occasionally 4 The terms penetrative partner 5 or giver are synonyms of top created to describe the act of penetrating without implying non egalitarian relations among participants citation needed Trevor Hart of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC found that self identified tops were more likely to act as the penetrative partner in other sexual activities besides anal intercourse including oral sex and sex toy play 6 Bottom EditA bottom is usually the receptive partner during sexual penetration This frequently refers to MSM who are penetrated via the anus during anal sex 1 Bottom is also used as a verb meaning to be penetrated by another whether anally or orally Bottom may also describe a wider social context of submission within a romantic or sexual relationship though this element does not apply to all people who prefer to bottom In gay male sexuality a total bottom is someone who assumes an exclusively receptive role during anal or oral intercourse A power bottom is someone who aggressively enjoys being the receptive partner A versatile bottom is one who prefers to bottom but who tops occasionally 7 The terms receiver or receptive partner may be preferred by some An oral bottom is the exclusively receptive partner in oral sex providing the penetrative partner or oral top with unreciprocated fellatio or irrumatio Versatile EditVersatile or vers refers to a person who enjoys both topping and bottoming and may alternate between the two in sexual situations 1 8 9 Flip flop or flip fuck commonly describes switching from top to bottom during one sexual encounter between two men 10 Each participant penetrates the other and is penetrated in his turn Versatility is a concept of lifestyle 11 Versatility though is not limited to the simple acts of anal oral or vaginal penetration but also includes the splitting of duties and responsibilities in the relationship 12 The reciprocal scenario where both men take turns fucking each other is often exercised as a celebration of equality What sets this scenario apart from the others is the versatility of the men involved Versatility is a unique and important feature of male anal sex Some men consider it liberating Versatility to them is akin to speaking two different languages It requires a special kind of playfulness creativity curiosity and coordination Steven G Underwood Gay Men and anal eroticism tops bottoms and versatiles Harrington Park Press 2003 According to some living a versatile lifestyle implies a certain openness to new things and an opposition to labels stereotypes and generalizations Therefore this concept differs from heterosexual relationships where sexual compatibility does not begin with guessing who will end up as top or bottom 1 In self descriptions of men seeking sex with other men they may refer to themselves as a versatile tops or versatile bottoms in addition to using other terms A 2009 Austrian study on gay pornography has shown that at least 82 4 of all men performing in the male porn industry are versatile at some point during their career In this study the performances of 5 556 actors were considered 10 8 performed only in the top role 6 8 only as bottoms The study also found that the actor with the larger penis was more likely to act as the top 13 Side EditThe term side has been proposed by The Huffington Post contributor Joe Kort 14 for gay men who are not interested in anal sex In May 2022 Grindr added Side as a position option as opposed to Top Bottom or Versatile 15 Prevalence EditA tally of 55 464 profiles on gay com from the United States showed that 26 46 preferred top while 31 92 preferred bottom and the largest group 41 62 preferred versatile The preferences seemed to vary by state however In Wyoming for example 16 preferred top 44 preferred bottom and 40 preferred versatile In West Virginia tops outnumbered bottoms by a slim margin 32 top 29 bottom and 39 versatile In Oregon versatile profiles made up nearly half 48 42 16 A study of men who have sex with men found only 37 2 of participants had engaged in anal sex while 72 7 had participated in oral sex and 68 4 in partnered masturbation putting sides in the majority 17 Other EditGeneral Edit In the hanky code a person flagging the top or active role would wear the hanky in the left pocket and the bottom or passive role on the right Acts which were not divisible into distinct roles however such as 69 or anything followed a pattern in which one flagged interest by wearing the hanky on the left and absence of interest by wearing it on the right and preferences that did not relate to sexual mechanics such as uniform fetishism or prostitution followed a pattern in which the seeker flagged on the right and the object of desire flagged on the left 18 The cowboy position is anal sex in which the bottom straddles the top 19 The position is often cited as being advantageous for bottoms who are new to anal sex as it allows the receiving partner to lower himself on to the other s penis at his own pace 20 Alternative terminology Edit Other terms for top and bottom include active and passive and pitcher and catcher 21 22 5 The intended meanings of active vs passive in reference to oral sex can be unclear however 23 Switch is sometimes used for versatile 24 Role vs position among sexualities Edit The terms top bottom and versatile do not necessarily refer literally to physical position during sex 25 For example if the inserting partner lies on his back and the receptive partner straddles him the inserting partner is still considered the top and the receptive partner the bottom despite their reverse physical arrangement See also Edit Human sexuality portal LGBT portalLordosis behavior Seme and uke related terms in Japanese manga and anime publications and fandom Sex position Top bottom and switch terms used in BDSM erotic practices and roleplayingReferences EditNotes a b c d e Steven Gregory Underwood 2003 Gay men and anal eroticism tops bottoms and versatiles Psychology Press ISBN 1 56023 375 3 Archived from the original on 2021 03 10 Retrieved 2011 12 02 Gremore Graham 4 May 2015 What Do You Do When Your Total Top Boyfriend Refuses To Bottom Queerty Archived from the original on 25 July 2015 Retrieved 24 July 2015 Rodriguez Carissa 13 May 2015 It s Symptomatic Document Journal Archived from the original on 1 August 2015 Retrieved September 5 2015 Versatile Top Archived 2012 01 25 at the Wayback Machine Gaylife about com 2012 01 01 Retrieved on 2012 01 09 a b Peter M Davies Ford C I Hickson Peter Weatherburn Andrew J Hunt 31 October 2013 Sex Gay Men amp AIDS Routledge p 120 ISBN 978 1 135 72249 4 Bering Jesse Top Scientists Get to the Bottom of Gay Male Sex Role Preferences Scientific American Archived from the original on 2011 03 19 Retrieved 2011 01 20 Versatile Bottom Archived 2012 01 25 at the Wayback Machine Gaylife about com 2012 01 01 Retrieved on 2012 01 09 Goodreau SM Peinado J Goicochea P Vergara J Ojeda N Casapia M Ortiz A Zamalloa V et al 2007 Role versatility among men who have sex with men in urban Peru Journal of Sex Research 44 3 233 9 doi 10 1080 00224490701443676 PMID 17879166 S2CID 13334957 Archived from the original on 2013 10 20 Retrieved 2011 02 13 Manner die sowohl passiven als auch aktiven Analsex praktizieren nennt man versatile Archived 2012 02 26 at the Wayback Machine Georg Pfau Praventionsmedizin fur den Mann Linz 2009 Michael D Smith David W Seal Seal 2008 Motivational Influences on the Safer Sex Behavior of Agency based Male Sex Workers Archives of Sexual Behavior 37 5 845 53 doi 10 1007 s10508 008 9341 1 PMC 5454495 PMID 18288599 Levine Martin P Kimmel Michael S 1998 Gay Macho The Life and Death of the homosexual Clone New York New York University Press Jay Karla Young Allen 1979 The gay report Lesbians and gay men speak out about sexual experiences and lifestyles New York Summit ISBN 0 671 40013 4 Michelides Christian Mannlichkeitskonstruktionen der Pornografie zur Jahrtausendwende Wien 2009 Guys on the Side Looking Beyond Gay Tops and Bottoms Archived 2013 12 25 at the Wayback Machine Huffingtonpost com Retrieved 2014 10 02 Farber Jim June 20 2022 Rise of the sides how Grindr finally recognized gay men who aren t tops or bottoms The Guardian Retrieved November 27 2022 Best states for tops bottoms versatiles Archived 2017 10 27 at the Wayback Machine Straightacting com Retrieved on 2012 01 09 Rosenberger Joshua Reece Michael Schick Vanessa Herbenick Debby Novak David Van Der Pol Barbara Fortenberry J Dennis August 24 2011 Sexual Behaviors and Situational Characteristics of Most Recent Male Partnered Sexual Event among Gay and Bisexually Identified Men in the United States The Journal of Sexual Medicine Wiley 8 11 3040 3050 doi 10 1111 j 1743 6109 2011 02438 x PMID 21883941 Retrieved November 27 2022 Gay Hanky Codes Archived from the original on 2011 10 30 Retrieved 2014 02 03 The Vada Guide to Anal Sex for Men Archived 2019 12 29 at the Wayback Machine Vada Magazine Retrieved 2018 08 27 Pink News Explainer The Best Gay Sex Positions Archived 2019 12 29 at the Wayback Machine Pink News Retrieved 2018 08 27 Bering Jesse Top scientists get to the bottom of gay male sex role preferences Scientific American Blog Network Archived from the original on 2019 11 17 Retrieved 2020 02 26 Neither here nor there breaking free of gay stereotypes The Bryant Archway Archived from the original on 2020 02 26 Retrieved 2020 02 26 Bell Robin 1999 02 13 Homosexual men and women BMJ British Medical Journal 318 7181 452 455 doi 10 1136 bmj 318 7181 452 ISSN 0959 8138 PMC 1114912 PMID 9974466 What Does It Mean to Be a Bottom or Submissive in Lesbian Sex Autostraddle 2018 07 10 Archived from the original on 2020 02 26 Retrieved 2020 02 26 Topping or Bottoming How To Know If You re A Top Or Bottom Archived 2011 11 14 at the Wayback Machine Gaylife about com 2012 01 01 Retrieved on 2012 01 09 BibliographyDossie Easton Janet W Hardy The New Topping Book Greenery Press 2003 ISBN 1 890159 36 0 Person Ethel S Terestman Nettie Myers Wayne A Goldberg Eugene L Salvadori Carol Gender differences in sexual behaviors and fantasies in a college population 1989 erschienen in Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy Bd 15 Nr 3 1989 P 187 198 Janus Samuel S Janus Cynthia L 1993 The Janus Report on Sexual Behavior Wiley New York Charles Moser in Journal of Social Work and Human Sexuality 1988 7 1 P 43 56 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gay sex roles amp oldid 1134524389, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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