The Paradox of Porn : Notes on Gay Male Sexual Culture

D. Shewey

Pornography has played a special role in the sex lives of gay men. It has taught us what desire between two men looks like, it has helped us figure out what turns us on, it has supported us in not feeling so alone, it has gotten us through times of loneliness and isolation, disease and disconnection, and it has contributed to many pleasurable orgasms. At the same time, the images from porn that are now ubiquitous in our lives have shaped and often distorted our ideas about what sex is, what normal bodies look like, how people make connections, and how we feel about ourselves. It's been hugely liberating and hugely oppressive. And that's the paradox of porn.