Gay Men and Sides: Sexual Self-Empowerment Beyond Tops and Bottoms

Two adult gay men sharing affectionate physical closeness at home

 Gay men have developed an extensive vocabulary for talking about sex and relationships. We can be tops, bottoms, versatile, vers-tops, or vers-bottoms. Sometimes we become so accustomed to those categories that we overlook the assumption beneath them: that anal intercourse will necessarily be part of sex. But what if it is not? Gay men … Read more

Gay Men and Post-Nut Clarity: What It Really Means

tired-looking man

We’ve all heard the phrase “post-nut clarity” — that shift in perception some men describe right after orgasm, where what felt intensely appealing just moments before suddenly seems different, even irrelevant. It’s been a popular meme, but it actually points to some very real psychological and physiological processes that gay men, in particular, can recognize … Read more

Why the CSAT “Sex Addiction” Model Harms Gay Men — And What We Should Use Instead

man-lying-on-bed-shirtless-opening-his-jeans

By Ken Howard, LCSW, CST | GayTherapyLA.com / GayCoachingLA.com Context, Commerce, and Consequences The concept of “sex addiction” did not arise in a vacuum. In the early 1980s, amid the fear-and-moral-panic atmosphere of the AIDS crisis, sexual behavior (especially gay male sexuality) was widely framed as dangerous or even deadly. Into that climate, Patrick Carnes, … Read more

Gay Sex Therapist on Sexual Mental Health:  The Triumvirate of Self, Partner, and Others

shirtless man pointing sits on bed deposit photo 2 8 21

Gay Sex Therapist on Sexual Mental Health:  The Triumvirate of Self, Partner, and Others Sex Therapy: A Background As a long-term (29 years in 2021) gay men’s specialist therapist and gay sex therapist, relatively recently becoming an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (the national credential), I have worked with hundreds or thousands of gay men to … Read more