From MSM to heteroflexibilities: Non-exclusive straight male identities and their implications for HIV prevention and health promotion

Abstract

This article examines the logics of self-identification among men who have same-sex desires and behaviours and consider themselves to be straight. We draw from interviews conducted in the USA with 100 straight-identified men who have same-sex desires and 40 partners of such men. Our data allow us to reject two misconceptions. One is the idea that these men are actually gay or bisexual but refuse to accept those identities. We argue instead that these men see themselves as straight and therefore it is important to understand what specifically they mean by that. The second misconception links straight-identified men who have same-sex desires and behaviours to the racialised discourse of the so-called down low (or 'DL') in the USA. While the DL typically is depicted as involving African American and Latino men, most of our participants are White. Moving beyond these misconceptions, we propose that health educators must acknowledge flexibilities in the definition of heterosexuality and use an expanded definition as a starting point to envision, together with these men, how to more effectively engage them in HIV prevention and health promotion.

HPV knowledge, burden and genital wart location among heterosexually identified versus homosexually identified men who have sex with men in Lima, Peru: cross-sectional results from a cohort study

“…Rather, it may be that these men, like the participants in Carrillo and Hoffman's recent qualitative study of 100 heterosexual-identifying MSM in the USA, firmly identify with a heterosexual identity, do not wish to be seen otherwise and do not see their self-identities changing; it may be that they see themselves as 'heteroflexible' with 'elastic sexualities'. 27 Of note, Carrillo's study sample was not limited to Latinos but included other races (ie, White, African American, Native American, Asian American and Middle Eastern/ White) which may extend the relevance of the present study beyond heterosexually identified Peruvian MSM.…”

Traditional Sex and Gender Stereotypes in the Relationships of Non-Disclosing Behaviorally Bisexual Men

“…Similar to what Schnarr et al’s (2012) found, some participants felt that receptive anal sex with a man was an opportunity to explore their feminine, weaker, or softer side (although this was distinct from being “effeminate,” or feminine in self-presentation). Carrillo and Hoffman (2016) also found that heterosexually-identified men sought out sex with men when needing a relief from the expectation of always being in control in their relationships with women or, “a respite from the burdens of hegemonic forms of masculinity” (p. 931). Indeed, some of our participants were dissatisfied with having to perform the traditional masculine role in their relationships with women.…”

“…This group of men (often described in popular media as men “on the down-low”) has received much attention from sex researchers because they represent a potential “bridge population” that could acquire HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) from their male partners and transmit these infections to their female partners (Doll & Beeker, 1996; Ekstrand et al, 1994; O’Leary & Jones, 2006). Several studies have investigated why these men choose to not disclose their same-sex behavior (Benoit & Koken, 2012; Malebranche, Arriola, Jenkins, Dauria, & Patel, 2010; Schrimshaw, Downing, & Cohn, 2018; Schrimshaw, Downing, Cohn, & Siegel, 2014; Schrimshaw, Siegel, Downing, & Parsons, 2013) and why many of them continue to regard themselves as heterosexual despite their homosexual behaviors (Baldwin et al, 2015; Carrillo & Hoffman, 2016; Persson et al, 2017; Reback & Larkins, 2010; Ward, 2015). Yet, researchers have not paid much attention to similarities or differences in how these men perceive their sexual and intimate relations with men and women.…”

“…However, despite their repudiation of femininity in men, many of them enjoyed exploring their feminine side by taking the bottom position. Similarly, Carrillo and Hoffman (2016), in a study of 100 straight-identified men who had same-sex desires, found that these men viewed their sexual activities with other men a as “respite” from having to perform masculinity with women by affording an opportunity to let another man be in charge.…”

“…Many studies with non-gay-identified MSMW have found that they avoid forming intimate relationship with their male sex partners. That is, because they view emotional sharing with a partner as a characteristic of women or gay men, avoiding emotional connection with male sex partners is essential for MSMW wanting to maintain a masculine and non-gay identity (Carrillo & Hoffman, 2016; Reback & Larkins, 2010; Silva, 2017; Ward, 2015). The behaviorally bisexual men in Schnarrs et al’s (2012) study also reported only developing emotional connections with their female partners while they ensured their relationships with men remained “purely sexual.” However, a recent survey with behaviorally bisexual Latino men in New York City (NYC; Muñoz-Laboy, Garcia, Wilson, Parker, & Severson, 2015) revealed that many of them had steady relationships with men, sometimes concurrently with a relationship with women, which raises questions whether more MSMW than might be assumed actually forge some kind of an intimate relationship with male partners.…”