This just in: Gay men with older brothers are more likely to be bottoms. At least, according to two new studies.
The first study was conducted in Canada; the second was conducted in the United States. Both studies found that fraternal birth order may impact whether a gay guy is a bottom, a top, or vers.
Scientists call the phenomenon the fraternal birth order effect, or FBOE. They don’t 100% understand how it works, but they might be getting closer to figuring it out.
Related: Troye Sivan ‘blooms’ in new video for summer’s #1 bottoming anthem
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Basically, FBOE is all about nature not nurture. It specifically looks at the number of male fetuses a woman has carried in her womb and doesn’t consider how the brothers are raised after being born.
The belief is that, after a mother carries a male fetus, the Y-chromosome causes some sort of immunological reaction. The antibodies from that reaction stay in her body, and can later impact the brains of future male fetuses in her womb.
With each subsequent male pregnancy, the immunological reaction becomes even stronger. Hence why younger boys are more likely to be gay… And now, apparently, bottoms.
The next question researchers have is whether or not straight dudes who like getting pegged by female partners also have more older brothers.
Related: Sex club under fire for charging vastly different admission prices for “tops” and “bottoms”
asexplanation
Interesting. Any chance you have the actual sources for these findings?
MacAdvisor
I’d rather have the phone number of the model in the picture.
ElPillo
The model is a child, barely has pubes
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
So one gets hair on arms, and legs before pubes?? Not how I remember it…..
baggins435
6 kids in our family, 5 boys, 1 girl, the 2nd youngest. The 3 oldest-boys-are gay (2 are definitely tops) and the last 3 are straight. We have replied to every request from studies of gay brothers and never received a reply back.
marq
Yes the fraternal birth order theory, mostly out of Toronto, has been around for a while but it doesn’t make much sense. The core of the theory isn’t just about bottoms but about gay men generally. They say that the more older brothers you have, the more likely you are to be gay.
However, firstly, in most of the world the number of children in a family has dramatically declined over the last century (not to mention a one child police in China). If the older brother effect was significant, there should be an equally dramatic decline in the number of gay men. Specifically relating to this article, there should be a significant decline in the proportion of gay men who are bottoms. Where is the evidence for that?
Secondly, the chance of a baby being male or female is 50%. If a man has a lot of older brothers, chances are that he also has a lot of older sisters.How can they possibly statistically prove that the older brothers are the cause? They would need to exclude from their study any men with zero older brothers and any older sisters. What sort o a study would that be?
Crystix
I have an older brother and I am proud loud queer bottom. But I also had a flamboyantly gay dad and my mom is an extremely butch truck driver (before she retired). So maybe this is more anecdotal than causal? Still interesting. Just means I need to find me some first borns. Yesss yesssssss my child. Bring me the firstborns….
Johnathan
Why is being a bottom always a negative thing?! Big ol bottom ! Really. That’s unacceptable. Where is a top without bottom. What about a tight petit beautiful bottom. So ridiculous.
ElPillo
A tight bottom is kind of …not very active. Less experienced. I right go for the interesting
Doug
As a top, believe me, a bottom is definitely not a negative thing in my book.
Dymension
Not only that, but what about active bottoms? Those are the bottoms that slap a top down and a talks dirty to them, and squeezes their sphincter and gives a top the ride of his life!
Donston
This result is probably a fusion of physiology and sociology and experience. People are always looking to science to answer every question. But in reality everyone is different for different reasons. I’m a gay pansexual with two older brothers… and I’m a top, though I’ve bottomed a few times in my life and like to worship. But to me a dude’s ass is everything.
Josh447
What a farce. I’m the youngest of three brothers. I’m living proof this study is a bomb. Or just faked.
MacAdvisor
Something can be more likely in general, but not universally true. Most people can eat peanut butter without an issue, but some people have allergic reactions. Thus, the study can show the later in birth order, the more likely a male is going to be a bottom without saying ALL late birth order gay men are bottoms.
Josh447
Without the data present, it’s not even a probable concerning bottoming. Gay maybe, but the sexual habits while having sex angle doesn’t click for me. Even to suggest it without full disclosure, seems quite irresponsible and spreads false rumor.
I think this is bad info.
There are no citations for this article. Could it have been written by a click hungry yellow journalist.
Josh447
Graham/Queerty,
Please name your Canadian and US sources for this article. Or please otherwise remove it.
Thank you
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Oh brother……
eeebee333
Science?
RobtheElder
I suspect the answer here is simpler than some complex treatise on birth order. If your first son is gay, who will his gay activities first affect? A younger brother, of course! No question about that. Does this gay older brother try to force his assets on his younger, limp brother, who can’t yet maintain an erection? Of course not! Initial anal penetration is almost always painful. Why would the older brother subject himself to pain? Why try to promote an erection in his younger brother that will only cause him pain, if successfully accomplished. Once the younger brother is indoctrinated to anal intercourse, why would he try to be a top. Bottoming is already comfortable and encouraged… RobtheElder
Paxbrother
Terrifying
JK 1984
Yeah I doubt that many (hopefully not any) gay men who bottom are that way because they were raped by their brother.
hello369
OMFG. Who funds these studies? Aren’t there more important things for scientists to research?
JK 1984
While it is possible that there is some kernel of truth to this study (hormones in utero do have an effect on a fetus) it is only one part of a puzzle, not the answer.
I know first born bottoms and youngest of five boy’s who are tops. I’m not saying the research is wrong, just that there are many other factors that will affect this, just like being gay not being the result of one factor (at least based on current science).
djmcgamester
It’s is weird. I don’t think I ever even enjoyed bottoming until I was 30 or 31. It just wasn’t that interesting to me. I preferred to top. Now either works for me. I have an older brother. I seem to work against this alleged study.
Sotzume
I have an older sister and a younger sister and i’m the biggest bottom ever…lol