Gay

Men who are into gay men

Am I gay if I fancy someone of the same sex?

Men who are into gay men

Traditionally, the term 'gay' refers to people who identify as men who date, sleep with and love only other people who also identify as men. Over the years, however, more and more people on the LGBT+ spectrum came to identify with the term; people of many gender identities and sexual orientations sometimes use it to describe themselves now. The controversy surrounding gayness has mostly to do with the fact that cis gay men are seen and portrayed very differently to many other LGBT+ people - and often wind up as the recipients of a huge amount of the acceptance, understanding, attention and publicity afforded to this group as a whole.

What does gay mean?

Originally the word was used to mean cheerful, carefree or bright and showy. The name has changed over the centuries to mean someone attracted to a person of the same sex. And even more specifically to mean a man who is attracted to other men.

Do you have to be male to be gay?

No, the term has been heavily used to describe men who are attracted to men but it can be used by any sex or gender, it depends on the person as to what they label themselves.

Am I gay if I fancy someone of the same sex?

Only if you identify that way. It might be that you’re predominantly straight (attracted to a person of the opposite sex) or maybe bisexual if you like guys and girls alike. Only you can decide.

Is gay sex risky?

While gay men are at risk of catching HIV but if you use a condom, then this lowers the risk substantially and protects you from other STDs too. Otherwise sex with another gay person is as safe as having sex with a person of the opposite sex. Always practise safe sex!

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For kinksters into watersports

The term 'watersports' covers all sexual pursuits involving urine, and it's pretty common amongst kinksters. If you're new to this fetish and you'd like to try it out, the best way for beginners is to hop in the bath or shower with your partner before you play: it keeps things contained and makes it much easier to clean up afterwards! In contrast to scat, watersports don't usually come with heavy hygiene warnings; piss is a lot cleaner than people give it credit for. Make sure your golden shower is a fresh one, though, when pee starts to go stale it can also start causing you harm.

For all fetish wear lovers

Pretty much everyone has some kind of clothing that they're turned on by, whether when worn by them or when worn by someone else. For a lot of people that clothing is a little risque: maid-style outfits, or pleated schoolgirl skirts, or stockings and suspenders. For some it's a whole other fetish in its own right, such as PVC corset and latex catsuits. Whatever your preference, there will be something out there that turns you on - so get shopping! Our magazine section has plenty of articles on how to find clothes you love, even in sizes that are sometimes difficult to track down or styles that aren't always super common.

Safety, consent and respect for boundaries

There's more than one 'official' definition of what the letters in BDSM stand for, and plenty of people don't agree on their exact usage! However you use the term, though, it's a catch-all way of describing a whole bunch of kinks and fetishes that are more common than many people imagine: bondage and impact play, sadism and masochism, domination and submission. Safety, consent and respect for boundaries are all key in the practice of BDSM, and it's vital to negotiate properly with your partners before getting into anything heavy-handed. Thankfully it's not so hard to learn - most places around the world have their own BDSM communities that are only too happy to take in newbies and help them learn the ropes.