THE MYTH OF GAY PROMISCUITY: Maggie responds

Thanks Dale for pointing to some additional research I certainly was not aware of. This is not my specialty. I will look into it. I do not want to make this a main point because I think it is liable to misinterpretation, and nothing I think about unisex marriage hangs or falls on this particular argument.

But the Dutch study was published in one of the premier scientific journals for AIDS researchers and it was not conducted by junk scientists or homophobes but by serious people who need to track partner contacts if they are going to prevent AIDS transmission.

And it is not only mainstream journalists who buy into the myth. Take this for example, from gay sex columnist Dan Savage in his book Skipping towards Gomorrah (page 77):

"Now I'm not going to waste anyone's time arguing that most or even many gay male couples are monogamous. The notion that gay couples are likelier to come to an understanding about extramarital outlets is not a right-wing plot or an anti-gay stereotype. It's a fact."

No doubt Dan's social networks are somewhat different than yours, Dale, so perhaps he exaggerates. But this seems to me to be one of those fundamental male/female sexual differences. Yes there is a continum, among straight guys and no doubt gay men too. But male sexuality is more prone to promiscuity than women, so it makes sense that if you withdraw women from the sexual equation the continuum shifts.
posted by maggie at 7:03 PM VOTE

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