A team of scientists recently used straight-identifying men’s saliva to determine their true feelings about homosexual activity.
The study was funded by the American Institute of Bisexuality, a non-profit charity that “focuses on outreach within the bisexual community.” Researchers said they hope was to better understand “the health effects of same-sex vs. mixed-sex public displays of affection” and use science to creative “more inclusive of LGBTQ identities and experiences.”
Basically, 120 straight men ages 18 to 45 were shown a bunch of pictures of gay guys kissing, cuddling, engaging in coitus, etc. Then scientists measured the levels of salivary alpha-amylase, a digestive enzyme associated with stress and disgust, present in the men’s saliva.
Dr. Karen L. Blair, a psychologist at St. Francis Xavier University who authored the research, tells PsyPost:
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Participants watched a series of slideshows: male couples kissing, male couples holding hands, mixed-sex couples kissing, mixed-sex couples holding hands, boring images (e.g., paper clips) and disgusting images (maggots). In between slide shows, we asked participants questions about their responses to the photos, and we also collected saliva samples in order to assess salivary alpha-amylase in response to each slide show.
The results?
When faced with pictures of gay dudes kissing, straight dudes produced the same salivary alpha-amylase levels as when they were confronted with images of rotting flesh and maggots.
Not just that, but the study showed that the level of alpha-amylase was the same for those who were shown to be tolerant of gay relationships and those who were not.
“Why do people low in prejudice still show an increased physiological response?” she asks. “We can’t say definitively, however, it could be that society has socialized the notion of same-sex sexuality and affection as being ‘disgusting’ or immoral so strongly, for so long, that merely witnessing it causes a slight physiological stress response.”
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charlie_jackpot
I use a man’s spit to tell how he feels about gay sex too – the best lube
Soldier_Medic
rothflmao
Paco
They should repeat the same study on gay men to see if the responses are the same or different. We have all been “programmed” by society that being gay is immoral and disgusting.
The results might be interesting.
Josh447
I agree, in fact without this other info, and I would include bisexual men also, the study is completely Inconclusive.
KLBResearch
We’re working on that part, and you are spot on – we really think that these results are just pointing to what has been ingrained in society for so long about same-sex sexuality, and especially same-sex sexuality in men. The original study had about 20 bisexual men and a handful of gay men. We were mostly studying violent responses to same-sex PDA, so we were focused on heterosexual men who make up the largest group of individuals who commit anti-gay hate crimes. The saliva analysis portion of the study is quite expensive though, so we are waiting for additional funding before we can re-run the study on different sub-populations (bi men, gay men, women), and using different targets (female same-sex couples, gender diverse couples, male same-sex couples where the gender presentation is mixed, etc.). Our preliminary analyses of the bisexual men’s saliva showed the same pattern reported here in the paper, but the sample of gay men was too small to make any guesses as to what the pattern would look like there. I wouldn’t, however, be surprised to see the same pattern. It’s a very small physiological response, likely far from anything that would ever be consciously noticeable by the person experiencing it, so I would not be surprised to see it across sexualities. The self-report responses to the different images were much more conclusive, and are forthcoming in additional publications on the study! You can learn more here: http://www.KLBResearch.com
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
This is not the way I expected this story to go lol. But yes fascinating study , with equally fascinating implications (if it’s methodology legit “American institutitevof Bisexuality <_<) And I too had a "straight guy's spit" joke but some fücker already stole my thunder. Your loss.
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
Does this, I wonder, spell a safe adios to Queerty’s endless churn of “straights guys are all secretly gay” stories? ; _ ;
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
*sad not safe
Richard 55
This seems to be another bull-shit study. How one reacts to images is NOT a definitive guide or indicator of one’s sexuality.
Images and pornography in particular elicit reactions for various reasons, including reasons that have nothing to do with arousal or lack thereof. I feel like telling these sex researchers to fu@k off.
Hussain-TheCanadian
Brain don’t even lie I know you threw a fit when you read this article, probably flushed your Potpourri in anger 😉
Rex Huskey
it’s called junk science.