Abstract
Men who engage in non-penetrative sex with other men have received some visibility both in popular culture and academic discourse. Recent empirical studies observe the presence of stigmatising attitudes toward non-penetrative sex and those practising it. Building on these studies, the present project examines how gay men who engage in non-penetrative sex with other men negotiate their sexual identity with themselves, their romantic/erotic partners, and their networks of friends. Data collected through in-depth interviews with men who identify as sides support the centrality of their sexual identity in (re)constructing friendships with other gay men. In turn, this study contributes to the literature on gay men’s (and queer) friendships while providing a more detailed understanding of the specific experiences of men who engage in non-penetrative sex with other men.
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Bollas, A. (2024). Emerging Side Ecologies. In: Sexualised Governmentalities. SpringerBriefs in Sociology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-57009-4_3
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