Bisexualizing Effects of Porn

[Alaskan Couple]

I ran across this essay yesterday on Literotica which presents a well presented case regarding the effects of porn on the awakening of bisexual awareness. Here's a link for those interested in reading the short piece:

http://www.literotica.com/stories/showstory.php?id=474425

A quick summary is; All porn, regardless of whether it is heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual in content, has the effect of awakening the latent bisexuality in those watching it. The reason this is the case is because watching other people in the sex act allows the viewer to mentally identify with either (or both) genders. An example would be a purely heterosexual scene of a woman performing oral sex on a man. While watching this, a person (either male or female) can visualize themselves in either (or both) roles. Thus, with the mental awakening of homosexual identification in the heterosexual, bisexuality becomes more and more arousing and desiable.

I think the author has made a pretty good point. Further, I hold to the theories that most humans would be bisexual if societal pressures did not prevent it. Thus, the advent of more accessible porn to a greater number of people coupled with the normal tendency to bisexuality would have the effect of "bisexualizing" of the society.

Just thought I'd throw this out for info and discussion.

[NEPHX]

..... I hold to the theories that most humans would be bisexual if societal pressures did not prevent it.....


I agree with you but... at least in the US, sex/sexuality itself, is still really considered dirty unless you're selling a car with it (somehow that makes it ok). Our underpinnings are still Puritan in nature.. no matter how pretty the body is, throw it into a 5-g turn and the Puritan underpinnings crumble.

[TwylaTwobits]

I'm not sure I believe that any bisexual latencies are awakened by watching any kind of porn, be it gay, straight, or bisexual. The same way that you can have fantasies of your own or even do creative sexual role playing. Actually becoming the role you are acting and losing yourself in the moment, it doesn't change who you are or your sexual identity but it damn sure rocks your lovers world.

:2cents:

[Alaskan Couple]

I agree with you but... at least in the US, sex/sexuality itself, is still really considered dirty unless you're selling a car with it (somehow that makes it ok). Our underpinnings are still Puritan in nature.. no matter how pretty the body is, throw it into a 5-g turn and the Puritan underpinnings crumble.

True, but the times they are a changing....I've lived long enough to have witnessed a true shift in the way our society views sexuality. It's not yet "normal" - and the Victorian and Puritan thinking is still there - but it's getting better I think. This is especially noticeable among the college aged segment of society. When I was young homosexuality was a "hanging" offense - now it's just a "beating" offense.

[Alaskan Couple]

I'm not sure I believe that any bisexual latencies are awakened by watching any kind of porn, be it gay, straight, or bisexual. The same way that you can have fantasies of your own or even do creative sexual role playing. Actually becoming the role you are acting and losing yourself in the moment, it doesn't change who you are or your sexual identity but it damn sure rocks your lovers world.

:2cents:

Sure, it's just a theory. But I think the author was speaking of so called 100% heterosexual people who have not yet entered into even the fantasies or role playing you speak of. In other words, the porn is sort of the spark that gets them even beginning to have thoughts outside of the normal heterosexual boundaries. After that, the fantasies and role playing can reinforce the bisexuality as one grows into it.

[Apleasureseeker]

I disagree with the idea. I think that people will respond to those things that appeal to them. You can go to a dinner party and be served all sorts of things, it doesn't mean they you like them all or that you will even try some of the foods offered. Exposure DOES eventually make you more comfortable with them, but that doesn;t mean that, by themselves, you'll be more likely to taste them. Completely heterosexual men love seeing porn stars like John Holmes for the sheer novelty value. Of course, they'll probably imagine being him when he's with a woman, but there's nothig that would make them want to have sex with him, unless the interest is there already.

I DO thnk bisexuality has been sold to young girls, though. It's not just that images of lesbianism are prevalent in medial, ut;s also that giirls are sold on the idea that girl-on-girl sex is more sophisticated and that it will give girls cache and power in the sexual interactions with boys and other girls.
For girls already sexually active and dealing with the inevitable frustrations, it's depicted as a sort of holy grail of sex. I know several girls who were profoundly dissapointed with this!

So, just seeing your won sex getting it on won't inspire something that's not already there, unless it's sold in some way--given a positive spin, some kind of advantage to the practitioner in terms of pleasure or prestige.

[Apleasureseeker]

Speaking for myself, I'm low on the bisex scale, more of a straight guy who occasionally enjoys male to male sexual interaction, porn has exposed me to more imagery that satisifes my bi/homo feelings. When i was in my 20s and powefully into women, I remember getting a european porno that had some segments with multiple men and a single girl, and one segment where the camera spent most of the time on the guy and his cock. It was all boring to my heterosexual self. A few years later, when I'd had a lot of girls and a little group experience, and was comfortable enough to accept occasional bisexual feelings, I dug up that tape, and this time, it was fantastic! As a hetero guy, I just didn't notice the guys much except for the way the girls responded, but as a bisexual, the guys were really hot, and their cocks were, generally, gorgeous: thick, uncut and heavy cummers. Their bodies really worked hard when they came, the muscles in thier legs and bellys flexing with every thrust and spurt...How was it I never saw any of that before? :male:

[Bisexual Explorer]

Porn didn't make me bi, but it certainly put me in touch with my bisexuality. Until I saw my first porn film I was interested in women only. The first time I saw a porn film I wanted to be the actress sucking cock and having cock inside of her. Watching a good porn actress still makes me feel the same way.
g

[brutal_priestess]

It's an interesting thought but couldn't you argue with the fact that--unless you're physically revolted by the sex act you're watching--porn is designed to arouse? I think it's more likely that porn has turned us into a society of voyeurs, a concept only reinforced by the popularity of reality television.

[NakedInSeattle]

I thoroughly agree with the premise that, left to our own devices - free of society's pressure, we'd all be bisexual (to one end or the other of the Kinsey scale).
Also, I relate to GSP's comments. Hetero porn turned my head to thinking about being bisexual, gay porn convinced me I wanted the experience, and lesbian porn made me ask the question that if it's good for gals why not guys?
So, you sure could say that it's porno that did it for me.

[12voltman59]

I thought of this in recent years after "discovering" my bisexuality----thinking back to the porn nights we used to have back in my old college fraternity---even though we only watched "straight" porn----you have to think----so much of "straight" porn does center of the action that cocks are doing---sure--they may be sliding inside the various orifices of ladies---but in the end--the guy pulls his stick out, whacks it off and shoots his load--so even straight porn is pretty "cock centric"

Then of course----you do have so much of "straight" porn has some "hot lezzy action" with two chicks getting it on.

I agree with this writer's point of view that porn sort of does plant a seed regarding bisexuality in the minds of some. It may have done that to me too and I didn't realize it till many years later.

I also do hold to the idea that if all of society's taboos against it were gone----the majority of people would at the very least---try sex with someone of the same gender at least once---and if there were no restraints against bisexuality-----I bet that a good number--not all people of course--but a good number of people--- would be an operational bisexual at some point in their lives.

That was a pretty good and at times, HOT!, article. Thinking about what the author said--I knew that I had a definite interest in sex with another guy--when I became a big fan of the now defunct "Penthouse Forum" magazine that was strictly made up of stories submitted by readers that were supposed to be actual events---and I was drawn to stories written by guys about them masturbating or even having a sexual experience with other guys---I remember it was so hot to me---and it made me figure--"if those guys can do that---why not me??"

[fredtyg]

So, just seeing your own sex getting it on won't inspire something that's not already there, unless it's sold in some way--given a positive spin, some kind of advantage to the practitioner in terms of pleasure or prestige.

I've wrote here before that I tend to think most folks have at least the potential of being bisexual from birth. I also realize that social and peer pressure can often overpower the sexuality you have inside you.

Still, I think bi- porn, if exposed to in the right atmosphere, could move one towards accepting his or her own bisexuality. Or, barring that, at least make them comfortable with others' bisexuality.

But it would have to be under the right circumstances. If someone is watching a bi movie with a couple friends that are bi- friendly and are casual about watching a couple guys getting it on, I would think it might get some uptight latent bi folk to relax and maybe come to accept it as more natural over time.

[Cherokee_Mountaincat]

lol Thats one reason I love the Swing Lifestyle so much. I get to see, and participate, with Live people having sex, or get to just sit back and watch if I like. :bigrin: I dont know about it contributing to making me bi or More bi, but it definately is a turn on to watch folks enjoying themselves Live. :}
Naughty Cat

[HidingOut]

Fascinating discussion.

[Gay2Bi]

I don't know about gay or bi porn making straight people bi - I think you'd have to be interested enough to watch it in the first place, although it might provide fuel for fantasies to the already curious. The theory might work better for straight porn since it would allow both genders to fantasize about switching roles while still being able to watch heterosexual activity (watching overt same-sex activity might be too much if they're still at the fantasy stage). In my case, however, it was bi porn that made me bi. ;)

I had always considered myself exclusively gay. I'd clandestinely watched a lot of straight porn when I was a teenager - the only kind available in my father's stash. :devil: I really only got turned on by the guys, though; the solo girl and girl-girl action did nothing for me (still doesn't really). I was much more interested in what the guy was doing to the point where I would get impatient with the cameramen for focusing on various aspects of female anatomy to the exclusion of the hot guy(s) in the scene. It still annoys me to no end when straight porn focuses exclusively on the women while showing only the barest minimum of the guy. I find myself yelling at the screen, "Hello! There are two people in this scene! May I please see the other one?" :tong:

About 8 years ago now, I saw a porn scene that started off with two hot guys becoming very friendly with one another. I thought, "Hmm, this looks nice." Then this girl walks in. :eek: Up to that point in my life, I had never really had any interest in women - I hadn't watched straight porn since I turned 21 and could legally buy gay porn - but now here was this scene with two hot men having hot gay sex, and then a woman joins them. I found that...intriguing. (And confusing!) In fact, I found it so intriguing that I began obsessively collecting all the bi porn I could find. Most of my video purchases lately have actually been straight porn with some bi porn thrown in for good measure. It's not than gay porn no longer works for me, but more that my tastes have broadened, so my mix of porn needs to broaden too.

Oddly enough, I'm not actually physically turned on by women - sorry! - but I'm turned on by the idea of being with a woman. (I did mention it was confusing!) I think it comes down to the fact that the guys in porn - especially straight porn - make sex with women look like a lot of fun, so I guess that's got me thinking I should try it. My fantasies are still almost exclusively gay, but now sometimes when I'm watching bi and straight porn, I fantasize about being the guy having sex with the woman. In that sense, bi porn did plant the seeds of bisexual - and occasionally straight - fantasies that I'd never had before.

Incidentally, my latest porn obsession is "straight for pay" - gay-in-real-life porn actors doing straight scenes, often for their first time. I guess it's because I kind of want to be that gay man having his first encounter with a woman. ;)

[Bicuriousity]

Porn didn't make me bi, but it certainly put me in touch with my bisexuality. Until I saw my first porn film I was interested in women only. The first time I saw a porn film I wanted to be the actress sucking cock and having cock inside of her. Watching a good porn actress still makes me feel the same way.
g

I agree exactly! This is how I feel, I always wanted to be the girl for a change!

And I always thought all those cock closeups and the focus on the cock in porn was weird for "Straight" guys. I like it, but most porn is not so great. I like porn that really shows the passion.

[Realist]

Pornography had nothing to do with my being bisexual. I had been in several relationships with women and some with guys, before I saw my first 8mm movie.

I admit, they were arousing, at first, but real life was and still is, much more scintillating to me, than any porn I've ever seen.

[Alaskan Couple]

As I recall the thesis of the article, it was the idea that heterosexual (str8) porn can have a "bisexualizing" effect. As Gay2Bi pointed out, to think that a heretofore straight hetero person would watch homo porn in the first place might be a bit too much. But, according to the authors theory the "str8" person can comfortably be interested in (and eventually relate with) the opposite gender in Str8 porn - thus, slowly opening the door for bisexual acceptance.

Of course, there is no way to know if this is all a fact or not. I tend to agree with it though (and so does my wife). For a straight guy to be able to safely and comfortably watch a female being penetrated by an aroused male member...and perhaps begin to wonder what that might feel like to be her...or for a woman to see the power of the male as he opens the woman's body and wonder what that power might feel like. Such thoughts and speculations would, it seems, awaken the latent bisexuality in a person.

I for one hope the author is correct because it would mean that more and more "straight" people (bi's in hiding?) will be awakened to their true sexuality. Then our small number shall grow and it won't be so dayum hard to find a lover!!!! (but, I fear it may take a generation or so - things always change slowly - bummer!)

[Long Duck Dong]

there is a larger number of bisexual people than we think... its just not all of them are interested in multiple partners.....

every person is born with the ability to be bisexual.... it doesn't mean they will become bi sexual......or that they will develop bisexual tendencies..... and in fact a lot of male bisexuals are in fact males with a sexual type fetish..... they do not develop emotional or mental attractions to the same gender.....

watching porn can trigger the fantasy / sexual curiosity aspect in people.... but it also can trigger the self loathing / anti lgbt sentiment, when people act of the fantasies etc... and realise that they may be seen as something they do not want to be seen as....and thats LGB

that is also a aspect of gay hate crimes and trans killings..... people that end up in a sexual encounter as a spur of the moment then realise what they have actually done.....

I have to admit that I am amused at the way that often we can hope to make more people bisexual to increase our chances of getting laid.... but remain blind to the issues and effects it can have on people and their partners.......

I would rather have a open and out bisexual that is secure and stable in their sexuality, than a ticking timebomb of a person with emotional and mental issues caused by issues with their own sexuality and their ability to cope with it

[Apleasureseeker]

every person is born with the ability to be bisexual.... it doesn't mean they will become bi sexual......or that they will develop bisexual tendencies..... and in fact a lot of male bisexuals are in fact males with a sexual type fetish..... they do not develop emotional or mental attractions to the same gender.....

I thnk people also go through different phases in their sexual development. Even Freud talked about this. He felt, if I remember right, tht bi/homosex was a developmental phase that everyone goes through before moving on to hetersexuality. I had a conversation not long ago with a girl who grew up with a bunch of brothers--all perfectly straight--who engaged in a lot of exploration with each other. I was thinking about posting it as a new topic, and I think I will. I know that there were other boys way more interested in sex with boys than I was who turned out perfectly hetero later on.

[bikiniman]

I do not believe that I would have realised my own bi-sexuality without pornography.

[Realist]

I think environment plays into anyone's inability to be involved with both genders.

In my case, it certainly speeded up my desire to be with both genders. As a young boy of 14, having been recently introduced to sexuality by an older neighbor, something (I surmise) happened to hasten my bisexuality.

I was sent to an all-male military school. With my newly awakened sexuality and, no one to share it with but boys, nature took it's course. The third male I was with turned out to be the first person I ever truly loved. The combination of sharing both love and sexual passion, sealed my fate for life.

As I mentioned in another post, I knew an older retired nurse, who had been sent to private all-girls' schools and to an all-girl college. Although she had been actively sexual with girls at an early age, she knew girls who were only sexual because of the convenience of other girls as sexual partners. Some of her friends, from these schools, were never sexual with other females again, after graduating.............but, of course, some like her, were.

I also knew boys who were sexually active in military school, but never were again, after graduating and being assimilated into "normal" society..

[FalconAngel]

Interesting article, but the author is completely ignoring one of the most important factors in sexuality..........Genetics.

There is, discovered a few years ago, a genetic component to individual sexuality. Straight/Bi/Gay does not matter. They are all directly driven by genetics, just as there are genes that control addiction, hair color, eye color, height, weight, etc.

Genetics are the primary factor, but all other components play a minor role as well in a person's sexuality.

[cnwdst]

I ran across this essay yesterday on Literotica which presents a well presented case regarding the effects of porn on the awakening of bisexual awareness. Here's a link for those interested in reading the short piece:

http://www.literotica.com/stories/showstory.php?id=474425

A quick summary is; All porn, regardless of whether it is heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual in content, has the effect of awakening the latent bisexuality in those watching it. The reason this is the case is because watching other people in the sex act allows the viewer to mentally identify with either (or both) genders. An example would be a purely heterosexual scene of a woman performing oral sex on a man. While watching this, a person (either male or female) can visualize themselves in either (or both) roles. Thus, with the mental awakening of homosexual identification in the heterosexual, bisexuality becomes more and more arousing and desiable.

I think the author has made a pretty good point. Further, I hold to the theories that most humans would be bisexual if societal pressures did not prevent it. Thus, the advent of more accessible porn to a greater number of people coupled with the normal tendency to bisexuality would have the effect of "bisexualizing" of the society.

Just thought I'd throw this out for info and discussion.

...Couldn't have said it better or maybe even as well if I'd written it myself, my dear Alaskans:)!

[cnwdst]

I don't know about gay or bi porn making straight people bi - I think you'd have to be interested enough to watch it in the first place, although it might provide fuel for fantasies to the already curious. The theory might work better for straight porn since it would allow both genders to fantasize about switching roles while still being able to watch heterosexual activity (watching overt same-sex activity might be too much if they're still at the fantasy stage). In my case, however, it was bi porn that made me bi. ;)

I had always considered myself exclusively gay. I'd clandestinely watched a lot of straight porn when I was a teenager - the only kind available in my father's stash. :devil: I really only got turned on by the guys, though; the solo girl and girl-girl action did nothing for me (still doesn't really). I was much more interested in what the guy was doing to the point where I would get impatient with the cameramen for focusing on various aspects of female anatomy to the exclusion of the hot guy(s) in the scene. It still annoys me to no end when straight porn focuses exclusively on the women while showing only the barest minimum of the guy. I find myself yelling at the screen, "Hello! There are two people in this scene! May I please see the other one?" :tong:

About 8 years ago now, I saw a porn scene that started off with two hot guys becoming very friendly with one another. I thought, "Hmm, this looks nice." Then this girl walks in. :eek: Up to that point in my life, I had never really had any interest in women - I hadn't watched straight porn since I turned 21 and could legally buy gay porn - but now here was this scene with two hot men having hot gay sex, and then a woman joins them. I found that...intriguing. (And confusing!) In fact, I found it so intriguing that I began obsessively collecting all the bi porn I could find. Most of my video purchases lately have actually been straight porn with some bi porn thrown in for good measure. It's not than gay porn no longer works for me, but more that my tastes have broadened, so my mix of porn needs to broaden too.

Oddly enough, I'm not actually physically turned on by women - sorry! - but I'm turned on by the idea of being with a woman. (I did mention it was confusing!) I think it comes down to the fact that the guys in porn - especially straight porn - make sex with women look like a lot of fun, so I guess that's got me thinking I should try it. My fantasies are still almost exclusively gay, but now sometimes when I'm watching bi and straight porn, I fantasize about being the guy having sex with the woman. In that sense, bi porn did plant the seeds of bisexual - and occasionally straight - fantasies that I'd never had before.

Incidentally, my latest porn obsession is "straight for pay" - gay-in-real-life porn actors doing straight scenes, often for their first time. I guess it's because I kind of want to be that gay man having his first encounter with a woman. ;)
To me, that's not "confusing". But, sexuality isn't always necessarily simple, that's for sure! I think, incidentally, that bi's have everything in common with gays and straights--except for homophobia or heterophobia. But, wherever people are on the spectrum, that's fine with me--as long as they can live and let live.

[dman82]

My simple and only comment to this post is a quote from the movie Southland Tails "We are a bisexual nation living in denial."

:three:

[Annika L]

Gods, it's tantalizing, isn't it? The possibility that one of the things that most alienates you from mainstream society might actually be something that everyone in society shares...but *you* are one of the few who are enlightened enough to realize it!

(It's kinda reminiscent of the first Harry Potter book: am I just a worthless orphan not deserving of love or basic human respect...or am I in fact the most powerful wizard the world has ever known, famous, rich, and the key to saving the universe?!)

I've said it before and I'll say it again. When we try to theorize that everyone else is just like us in some important way, we oversimplify the human experience. Sure there are plenty of potentially bisexual people who haven't yet figured it out. Sure plenty of bi people begin to understand their sexuality by watching porn. But to think that everyone in the world is a repressed bisexual (except of course for us enlightened non-repressed bisexuals) is just wishful.

I believe in sexuality as a continuum...and although I don't think you *have* to put heterosexuality and homosexuality at the poles with bisexuality in the middle, I think that makes a pretty good model. I don't believe that anyone actually occupies either endpoint, but I do believe that people get close. Ok, by some peoples' definition, that makes everyone bisexual (since nobody is completely straight or completely gay)...but come on, people: someone who is, say, 2 on a scale of 1 to 100 isn't "in the middle". In Annika's world some people are simply "for all practical purposes, straight", and some are "for all practical purposes, gay". And no amount of removal of societal influences will change their preferences.

Come live in Annika's world...it's sooooooo comfy here! :tong:

This still leaves plenty of room for LDD's statement that "there [is] a larger number of bisexual people than we think." That could well be. But also don't get trapped into the mindset that says that because we have a continuum with a middle, there must be a bell-shaped distribution of sexualities along that continuum. In all likelihood, the distribution is J-shaped, with the bulk of people being closer to straight.

Yes, I'd love to live in a world where we're all queer...I've always been more comfortable around queer people (go figure). But I look around and I can *feel* the straightness of most people. Sadly, Annika's world just isn't that way. But come live here anyway! *smile*

[69luvr]

Porn didn't make me bi, but it certainly put me in touch with my bisexuality. Until I saw my first porn film I was interested in women only. The first time I saw a porn film I wanted to be the actress sucking cock and having cock inside of her. Watching a good porn actress still makes me feel the same way.
g

agreed! I love watching a good porno film with a male friend. I also have watched porn with female friends. I love sex with both and I do believe that porn has opened up my latent desires for sex with both sexes. I enjoy firm breasts and firm cocks.

[TaylorMade]

All all I say is that Bisexual porn opened up what was latent: the idea of a bisexual man as a viable relationship partner.

*Taylor*

[sylar]

I think that's kind of accurate. I never was really curious about giving a blow job until I noticed (even though I knew it was "acting") that the starlets made it look like a lot of fun and it was hot to watch them swallow cum. So, now I like giving blow jobs and swallowing.

[ivanthemonkey]

I wouldn't entirely agree with that, because the guys in straight porn rarely interact with each other. I see porn promoting bisexuality on women because the amount of girl on girl action is common place and socially acceptable.

There is also a biological advantage to girl on girl sex. On a competitive level it allows women to demonstrate their sexual prowess, especially in front of a male. Two girls making out at a party for example is screaming to all the males, "Hey look at how good I am!" Basically there is the ability of women to use their bisexuality to attract men.

Straight porn rarely has bisexual interaction between men, so that being the case I don't see how it would bisexualize men. It might be a theory, but unless it is backed by actual studies I would have to say there is no founding to the claim.

Some porn might break down some of the social mores of what is considered to be non-hetrosexual and this porn might lead to bisexual thoughts. For example when a girl performs anal acts on the male, fingering, licking, toys or a strap on, anal sex on men is often related to being gay in the minds of many, so seeing it's acceptance in a hetro-sexual context may make bisexuality more acceptable. other straight scenes where the guys might interact, such as double penetration where their members are rubbing against each other, and any such scene that pushes into bisexual, gay territory. maybe, but classic straight scenes, not so much.

[69luvr]

It's porn, not everyone even gets turned on by the same things in general let alone in porn.

I have gay male friends who have seen bisexual porn and they told me how they did not like seeing naked women at all and just wished that only two men were there.

Porn is not going to bring out latent bisexual or homosexual desires that were not there in the first place that the person either ignored or repressed.

but porn can allow a person to overcome his latent desires . Many repress their desires for one reason or another. Porn can help overcome that in some people.