What is top and bottom in a gay relationship
What Does “Top” Mean?
In the context of gay relationships and sexual dynamics, terms such as “top”, “bottom”, “verse” and “side” are often used to outline a person’s sexual preferences and roles. It is important to knowing these terms not only for members of the Queer community, but also for increasing understanding and acceptance of queer relationships in society.
What Does “Top” Mean?Physical AspectsEmotional and Psychological AspectsCommunication and ConsentWhat Does “Bottom” Mean?Physical AspectsEmotional and Psychological AspectsThe Stigma Around Entity a BottomWhat Does “Verse” Mean?Accepting DiversityCommunication and CompatibilityWhat Does “Side” Mean?Non-Penetrative IntimacyOpposing NormsAccepting One’s IdentityRoles and MythsHealth and Safety During Gay Sex
As a principle, in gay sexual relationships, the “top” is the partner who has a penetrative role during anal sex. However, the framework of top includes much more than just physical actions: it includes a whole set of attitudes, preferences, and sometimes heartfelt roles.
Physical Aspects
In physical terms, the t
Top/Bottom
The terms top and bottom emerged as descriptors of a sexual binary in the gay leather culture of the s and the bondage and sadomasochism (BDSM) culture of the s. Originally, the top-bottom binary signified both sexual positions and influence relationships in which a top was a sexual aggressor and penetrator who often acted as the more forceful and dominant partner; the bottom represented the more submissive, typically penetrated, and often "punished" partner.
DEFINITION AND USE OF THE TERMS
In the BDSM community the term top indicates the dominant companion who inflicts pain on, enacts control over, or otherwise subjects his or her partner to acts associated with bondage, discipline, and sadomasochism. The word bottom indicates the receiver of such treatment. In these cases the terms are not gender-specific: A male or a female may act as a top or a bottom. Although the top is the dominant partner, the bottom often still has control. For example, a top who takes route from the bottom's explicitly expressed wishes often is called a service top.
These terms evol
Top, Bottom, Verse: A Definitive Guide to Gay Terminologies
Gay identity is incredibly affluent and diverse and has a language all its retain. Though the Internet has helped to diminish the feeling of isolation that many gay people may have felt in the past, there&#;s still a certain code to online gay culture.
Understanding a few basic gay terminologies, especially ones that will aide you learn how to better express with gay men, can help you get more out of your online dating experience.
So whether you&#;re an former pro or just beginning to understand about gay sex, here is a look at some of the most common gay terminologies as we provide you the low-down on the difference between top, bottom, and versatile
What Are the Gay Male Identities?
The most usual gay male identities are Top, Bottom, and Verse. The definitions of each are relatively self-explanatory:
- The top is the person in ask for and/or performing the sexual act.
- The bottom is the person taking control and/or receiving the sexual act.
- The verse is someone who can go either way. They are the sexual chameleons of the gay
Straight people tend to get a little hung up on titles and roles in queer relationships. When it comes to same-sex attracted sex, many people tend to think rigidly and a short-lived too heteronormatively for their possess good: one person is the top (aka the giver or the more dominant partner during sex), and one is the bottom (the receiver or the submissive partner).
It’s sort of a more prying version of the other severely reductive and incredibly problematic question queer people notice all the time: “Who’s the man in the relationship? Who’s the woman?”
Of course, as with anything related to sex, the binary relationship between tops and bottoms is a lot more complicated than that. Sure, there are plenty of queer folks who almost exclusively bottom or top during sex, but there’s just as many who reflect on themselves versatile or switch (And hey, sometimes, just like with straight sex, there’s no penetration at all. Sex is fluid!)
To dig a little deeper, we asked queer men about topping and bottoming, the stereotypes associated with both and how they choose to use (or not!) the terms in their