OkCupid Examines “Gay Sex vs. Straight Sex”: Part I

The results of OkCupid's latest study are in, and the findings are bound to amuse some, offend others, and leave everyone else wondering why Canada is so intrigued by same-sex sex.

Blogger Christian Rudder explains the reasoning for collecting the latest research, in a study called "Gay Sex vs. Straight Sex," with this intro: "Gay issues have been in the news a lot lately, from the debate over same-sex marriage in Congress to a sickening rash of gay-bashing here in New York City. We see a lot of emotion out there, instead of information, and we wanted to provide some data-based context on sexuality so that people might make better choices about what they say, think, and do."

It's certainly a noble goal, but did they achieve it?

The initial conclusion the researchers draw is this: "First of all, gay sexuality is not a threat." Wording - which is bound to ruffle a few feathers - aside, the study makes a valid point: "The subtext to a lot of homophobic thinking is the idea that gays will try to get straight people into bed at the first opportunity, or that gays are looking to 'convert' straights." After reviewing more than 4 million match searches, the OkCupid research team found almost no evidence to back up the stereotype. Only 0.6% of gay men had ever searched for straight matches, only 0.1% of lesbians had ever searched for straight matches, and only 0.13% of straight people's profile visitors were gay. There were no gay users, male or female, who predominantly searched for straight members.

The researchers' next task was to debunk another virulent, but persistent, stereotype: that gay people are more promiscuous than straight people. "The statistical reality," Rudder writes, "is that gay people as a group aren't any more slutty than straights." The median reported sex partners for straight men, gay men, straight women, and gay women was exactly the same: just 6 people. A little under half of gay people (45%) and straight people (44%) had had 5 or fewer partners, while 98% of gay people and 99% of straight people had had 20 or fewer partners. The myth of gay promiscuity turned out to be just that - a particularly stubborn myth that was not supported by the research. In fact, the OkCupid team found that "just 2% of gay people have had 23% of the total reported gay sex," a finding that Rudder eloquently describes as "pretty crazy."

The study's next conclusion is certain to come as a surprise to many: "Straight people have gay sex, too." Almost a quarter of the 252,900 straight people asked "Have you ever had a sexual encounter with someone of the same sex?" answered "Yes." Rudder breaks the responses down into a pie chart: 66% responded "No, and I would never," 11% responded "No, but I would like to," 6% responded "Yes, and I didn't enjoy myself," and 17% responded "Yes, and I enjoyed myself."

Rudder further breaks the results down into charts for men and for women. Predictably, women expressed more interest in exploring their same-sex desires than men did. 1 in 3 straight women reported intimacy with another woman, and of those who hadn't hooked up with women, more than 1 in 4 stated that they would like to. As for the men, 13% responded that they had had a same-sex experience, and an additional 5% said that they hadn't yet, but would like to.

Stay tuned for Part II, in which Rudder takes on politicians, teaches an important astronomy lesson, and examines Canada's homosexual curiosity.