CAN PEOPLE CAN TELL IF YOU’RE A TOP OR BOTTOM?
A new study claims that strangers can often identify who is a top or bottom sexual partner in gay relationships just by looking at their faces on the basis of their “perceived masculinity”.
The report, published in the Archives of Sexual Behaviour, is titled Accurate Identification of a Preference for Insertive Versus Receptive Intercourse from Static Facial Cues of Gay Men.
According to the authors, “in intercourse between men, one of the partners typically assumes the role of an insertive partner (top) while the other assumes a receptive role (bottom)”.
Researchers Konstantin O. Tskhay and Nicholas O. Rule sought to assess whether these sexual roles could be “perceived accurately by naïve observers”.
They went on to report that in one study they found that strangers were “able to discern men’s sexual roles from photos of their faces with accuracy that was significantly greater than chance guessing”.
In a second study, they determined “that the relationship between men’s perceived and actual sexual roles was mediated by perceived masculinity”.
The report concluded that, “Together, these results suggest that people rely on perceptions of characteristics relevant to stereotypical male–female gender roles and heterosexual relationships to accurately infer sexual roles in same-sex relationships.
“Thus, same-sex relationships and sexual behaviour may be perceptually framed, understood, and possibly structured in ways similar to stereotypes about opposite-sex relationships, suggesting that people may rely on these inferences to form accurate perceptions,” said the researchers.
Do you agree? In your experience, have you found that more masculine guys tend to be tops while less masculine guys tend to be bottoms? Tell us your thoughts below.
Ja, well it is probably possible. If I take my partner and me, people would be able to tell. I am the bottom – not because I am small build, and have a more “light complextion” that is just how I am without being a “screaming queen” my partner on the other hand is musculine, plays Rugby for a local club – typical straights would never “think” of him as gay – So yes it is possible.
what about versatile couples?
what about versatile couples?
what about versatile couples?
I don’t think it’s always true. I don’t think anyone could tell which one of us in my relationship is top or bottom. We’re both equally masculine.
I think it’s pretty accurate. Take my husband and myself… Although I am the masculine one and also enjoy getting it up the bum, my husband who has more fem features and mannerisms assumes the bottom role 80% of the time.
Both versatile although one is more mascular. Sorry, you guys are going to get allot of different answers. One cant tell for a fact…
LMAO “You look like a bottom” – it’s not inside it’s on top. What a pointless piece of research!!!!
Utter crap. Many times when I meet a guy, I do not know who of us will be bottom that night.
Amongst blacks, there is still this negative stigma attached to ‘bottoming’, so a lot of masculine guys will bottom in secret; preferring to do it with someone who is absolutely discreet.
When these relationships progress, however, the “masculine” guy starts to become very comfortable and a lot more assertive about his sexuality. This often leads him to abandon the fears that he has had about “losing” his masculinity when consenting to prolonged anal sex(to which he is the receiver).
So now which is the illusion; perhaps the outward bravado of masculinity itself?
But its sexy, its inviting and its mesmerizing to both gay men and women alike as it suggests “potency” , “proficiency” and “pleasure” in bed.
For this reason, it matters a lot more to masculine guys;whom this image of virility is imposed on -either by other gay men or themselves.
So this research is more superficial than it is enlightening; for it is based only on “appearances” and , as the old saying goes(altogether now)….”appearances can be deceiving”.
What goes on behind closed doors is more telling and, in this case, researchers may learn that the roles of “masculine” and “feminine” become blurred…..
I do not agree with the research. The truth is, one can assume which role the partners play by looking at them. However, in the gay relationship especially when both partners are masculine it can not be certain who is top or bottom by just looking at their faces. The misconception people have about gay relationships is the comparison of it to heterosexual relationship.
People miss the point and that is, gay relationships involves two males and not a male and female relationship like a heterosexual relationship. There is no female in the relationship and who ever is bottom in the relationship does not make them feminine or a woman, he still remains a man. In fact the most masculine men enjoy being bottom. Even the so called “straight guys” enjoy being bottom.
In conclusion, gay relationships is about two men and as a result one can not tell with certainty who is the bottom or top in the relationship. It can not be identified by the masculine or feminine behaviour because every male has a feminine side even among straight men. In fact some straight men are more feminine than gay men. Does that mean their gay or bottom? NO! The problem is the comparison of a homosexual relationship to a hero-sexual relationship, that is were the error is. The two are incomparable. In any event why should it matter who is top or bottom, we are men!!
I think it is not as clear cut. I am a black man and though I have heard and witnessed for myself the fear that other black men have of their sexuality coming out is I embrace mine and embrace being a bottom. At the same time though I embrace my masculinity and love working out and building up my body. Do I LOOK gay? the women who have approached me and tried to date me might disagree. And the gay boys who have tried to give me their a**’s and been disappointed to have their fantasies of a black man ravaging them mercilessly dashed, might beg to differ! Even talking to me for a length of time still knocks people off even though I don’t have a deep voice or talk about sport all the time…
So from this research guinea-pig who also doubles up as a research-scientist I would say these guys spent good money and time on perpetuating mis-conceptions about what it is to be and to appear Bottom and what it means to be and appear Top!
What a load of crap! I’ve been in a versatile relationship for over 7 years and people have always assumed that my partner is top and I’m bottom, contrary to their false assumptions, my partner is bttm almost 90% of the time because that’s what we both prefer. These assumptions are based on masculinity or femininity in either one of us but these factors have nothing to do with one’s preferences. Time wasted on pointless research I say