I didn't think this was normally a topic that would run in Scientific American, but the science site has an article discussing the issue of tops, bottoms and versatile gay men. Nothing too surprising but one finding left me kind of questioning the whole issue.
Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta conducted a study published in the 2003 issue of The Journal of Sex Research. One interesting finding was this nugget:
"Tops were more likely than both bottoms and versatiles to reject a gay self-identity and to have had sex with a woman in the past three months. They also manifested higher internalized homophobia—essentially the degree of self-loathing linked to their homosexual desires."
Kind of reminds me of Ted Haggard but since I don't believe what every study out there says, I kind of questioned the notion of tops being essentially self-hating homos who can't come to terms with taking it up the bum. Sure, there's an atmosphere of bottoms being more feminine and other stereotypes, but do you guys agree with the study's finding?
You can read more here.
– Andy
~yes, I think this is very true!!! lol~
Totally, completely agree. If someone says they’re a total top, I expect a certain amount of internalized homophobia with them. I think the study is right!
That was very much my experience when I was younger in my 20’s…I met many selfish tops with serious internalized homophobia. Now in my 40’s, the men I meet my age are generally much less uptight about what they prefer sexually as well as their sexuality.
I have found that with several “total” tops…they haven’t found someone they trust who can help them learn to enjoy bottoming…
Either they had a bad experience early on (and most of us have been there…) or they have been convinced that bottoming makes you less of a man…
I know some very butch bottoms, and I’ve had the pleasure of taking a few “total” top’s butt cherries…
I dated this guy years ago…didn’t know he was a ‘total” top when we met…after a while I said, “my turn!”
He didn’t want to but finally gave in…after a few weeks we’d “playfully” argue about who “got” to bottom, not who “had” to…after a while we “thought” we had invented the flip/flop…now that is hot!
absolutely… me.
Before I came out, I claimed I was bisexual and only topped. Funny…as soon as I went versatile, I had the courage to come out!!
Yeah, I suspect it’s not as much that tops are more likely to be self-hating down-low homophobes, as those people are more likely to top.
I think most of the well-adjusted gays realize you can take it up the bum and still be a macho man.
That’s not necessarily true. I came out in my mid 20’s (now early 30’s), and consider myself a total top. I’m not an internalized homophobe, just had absolutely awful experiences that turned me off completely of bottoming and have no desire to bottom ever again.
I agree with FurFiend…i think guys who are just coming out or already have internalized homophobes. But, that does not mean that all tops are just self-hating homophobes.
On a note, I have a friend who was “bi” and only a top when he came out… now he is a fully out (after accepting he liked men & only men) and now is a big bottom. I think being a top only is a safety value for some men…I think it would be important for the study to evaluate men over time and not just at a specific moment to see how that works. My friend worked thru his internal homophobia and now is happy being a big bottom!