Penetration Not the Only Option

There is a common misconception that men who have sex with men only have penetrative anal sex and additionally that they alternate whether they are doing the penetration or being penetrated.
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Those that are doing the penetration are colloquially referred to as « tops », whereas those who are penetrated are referred to as « bottoms ». Typically, while some men who have sex with men do alternate between these two roles, most don’t. Sometimes even to the point of not being able to continue to the relationship due to incompatible sexual roles. .
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Additionally to this though, like men who have sex with women, for some men who have sex with men, penetrative sex is not what they are interested in. The term which is gaining popularity in mainstream culture is the role of the « side ». Sides prefer to engage in alternative sexual play to penetration such as kiss, hug, engage in oral sex and/or mutual masturbation. .
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Just like heterosexual couples, members of the lgbtq community also deal with difficult feelings and stigma if their sexual play doesn’t involve penetration. So let’s put it out there and stop putting penetration on a pedestal!