Gay Porn Statistics [LGBT]

This paper explores gay pornography, with a focus on surprising statistics that have implications for sexual health in the LGBT community:

1. Gay male porn accounts for 6.3% of all porn pageviews, contrasting with gay men making up just 3.4% of the general population.
2. Women constitute 37% of gay porn viewers, a rate that is 69% higher than their male counterparts.
3. Regarding engagement, viewers spend an average of 2 minutes longer per gay porn session regardless of gender. 
4. In role preferences among gay men, 26.46% opt for the top role, 31.92% for the bottom, and the largest segment, 41.62%, identify as versatile.
5. A study of 5,556 gay male porn stars reveals 82.4% have performed versatile roles, with only 10.8% and 6.8% exclusively taking on the roles of tops and bottoms, respectively.

For a comprehensive analysis and discussion of these findings, read on!

As always, all graphics are 100% free to share under the CC BY-NC-SA license. 

LGBT Porn Compared: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender 

In the U.S., the estimated number of LGBT adults totals 18.6 million, which accounts for 7.2% of the adult population. [1, 2]

The demographic is broken down as follows:

• Lesbian: 2.4 million (13.4%)
• Gay: 4.1 million (22.4%)
• Bisexual: 10.8 million (58.2%)
• Other LGBT: 1.1 million (6%)

Given these statistics, one might expect pornographic websites to feature content reflecting these proportions. 

However, this is not the case.

Upon closer examination, data from Pornhub reveals:

• Lesbian: 33.5% (124,380 videos)
• Gay: 21.3% (79,207 videos)
• Bisexual: 6.3% (23,257 videos)
• Transgender: 39% (144,700 videos)

This trend is not limited to online platforms. 

A similar pattern is observed in DVD porn retailer HotMovies, where a scant 2,139 titles (or 1.34%) are categorized as bisexual from a vast catalog exceeding 160,000 movies. 

So, why does this discrepancy exist? 

The answer is twofold. 

1. First, LGBT content, particularly in the lesbian and transgender categories, enjoys widespread popularity among the heterosexual community. 
2. Second, bisexual individuals, who constitute approximately 58% of the LGBT community, tend to consume a wide array of pornographic genres, not just those that fit the stereotypical bisexual threesome narrative.

Gay Porn Views

In the United States, gay male porn accounts for 6.3% of all porn pageviews. [3]

The following Pornhub map shows that some states have a proportionately higher rate of viewing gay content. 

Mississippi tops the list with 7.9% of gay content page views, followed by the District of Columbia (7.8%), Louisiana (7.4%), Georgia (7.3%), and New York (7.2%). 

North Dakota has the lowest at 4.2%, with Montana, Idaho, and South Dakota below 4.5%.

But why is gay porn more popular in the southern U.S.?

One potential explanation is the region's solid Christian religious influence, often referred to as the 'Bible Belt’ (pictured below together), which could stigmatize open gay relationships and make gay porn a more discreet alternative.

This reasoning could also explain why gay porn is disproportionately prevalent in countries where homosexuality is criminalized. 

For example, when examining Google Trends data, the search term 'Gay Sex' registers low-interest scores of 12 and 10 in countries where homosexuality is legal, such as the U.S. and Belgium. 

Conversely, in countries where homosexuality is criminalized, like Libya and Pakistan, the term shows significantly higher interest, with scores of 41 and 34, respectively. 

Gay Porn Views and Gay Population Compared

While gay content accounts for 6.3% of all porn page views in the U.S., this figure is notably higher than the percentage of gay men in different generations—from 0.8% in the Silent Generation to 3.4% in Generation Z. [1, 2]

Why the discrepancy?

Several factors contribute to this:

1. As previously discussed, gay men have longer viewing sessions and watch gay porn more frequently.
2. Bisexual men, who make up about 58% of the LGBT community, also contribute to gay porn viewership.
3. Women constitute 37% of all gay porn viewers, making them 69% more likely to watch gay male porn than men overall.
4. Surprisingly, straight men account for 23% of gay porn viewership.

Click on the post below to discover more - take advantage of it!

Gay Porn Pageviews by Age Group

When examining the age distribution of gay porn viewers, the percentages vary intriguingly.

• 18-24: 6.2%
• 25-34: 6.1%
• 35-44: 6.2%
• 45-54: 8.4%
• 55-64: 9.5%
• 65+: 10.1%

Interestingly, the percentage of gay porn pageviews doesn't substantially differ among the younger age groups (18-44), hovering around the 6% mark. 

However, a noticeable uptick occurs starting from the 45-54 age group, peaking at 10.1% for those aged 65 and above. [3]

One plausible explanation for this trend could be societal taboos. 

Older generations grew up when being openly gay was less socially accepted, making discreet viewing options like gay porn more appealing to them.

And this is all further by comments that I've come by, like this one YouTube comment on a soft, censored gay porn YouTube video:

Heterosexual Gay Porn Preferences

When heterosexual individuals were asked:

"How often do you watch same-sex porn where the participants are of the same gender as yours?"

...the responses were revealing.

• Women: 39% of the time
• Men: 23% of the time

The trend extends to preferences for solo porn content:

Women:

• 16% prefer watching male solo shows
• 21% prefer watching female solo shows

Men:

• 7% prefer watching male solo shows
• 26% prefer watching female solo shows [6]

Several factors could help explain these preferences:

1. Fluid Attraction: Research suggests that men identifying as heterosexual may still experience some level of attraction to other men and may even engage in same-sex encounters.
2. Not a Direct Reflection: Porn preferences do not necessarily provide a one-to-one correlation with one's declared sexual orientation.
3. Evolving Tastes: It's worth noting that sexual preferences can be fluid over time. In a survey about whether porn preferences have remained the same over the last five years, only 36% of women and 60% of men answered affirmatively. This suggests that what people are interested in watching can change, further complicating the relationship between sexual orientation and porn preferences. [6]

Length of Typical Gay Porn Viewing Session

When exploring heterosexual pornography consumption on Pornhub, average viewing times differ slightly between men and women:

• Men: Approximately 9 minutes and 45 seconds
• Women: Precisely 10 minutes

Interestingly, the dynamic changes when the content is gay pornography. On average, viewers—regardless of gender—spend approximately 2 minutes longer per session.

This represents a nearly 20% increase in visit duration compared to heterosexual content. [3, 7]

This trend is further substantiated by recent research examining the nuanced differences in pornography consumption among heterosexual, gay, and bisexual men. 

The study categorized the average viewing time per session into three segments:

• Less than 10 minutes: Heterosexual men lead this category at 41.7%, compared to 28.7% for gay men and 25.5% for bisexual men.
• 30 to 45 minutes: Gay and bisexual men tend to spend more time, clocking in at 45.2% and 47.7%, respectively, as opposed to 38.6% for heterosexual men.
• 1 hour or more: Both gay and bisexual men show similar tendencies, at 26.1% and 26.8%, respectively, noticeably higher than the 19.7% among heterosexual men. [8]

These findings corroborate the initial observation that:

1. Gay porn viewing sessions are generally longer
2. More specifically, the data suggest that gay and bisexual men are more likely to engage in extended viewing sessions compared to their heterosexual counterparts

Gay Porn Viewing Frequency 

In addition to longer viewing sessions, gay and bisexual men consume porn more frequently than their heterosexual counterparts.

In one study, researchers segmented participants based on how often they consume porn, breaking it down into three distinct frequency categories:

• Once a week or less: Heterosexual men lead this category at 37.9%, compared to 18.4% for gay men and 17.8% for bisexual men.
• Two to three times a week: The distribution is pretty even across all groups, with 32.6% for heterosexual men, 30.3% for gay men, and 29.6% for bisexual men.
• Once a day or more: This category reveals a stark contrast. A significant 51.3% of gay men and 52.6% of bisexual men report daily consumption, surpassing 29.5% of heterosexual men. [8]

Top Gay Porn Searches 

The top three searches conducted by the gay community on PornHub are: 

1. Hentai
2. Twink
3. Pinoy

The three most frequented categories by the same group include:

1. Straight Guys
2. Black
3. Group [7]

Top Gay Porn Stars

The most sought-after performers within the gay adult film industry are Dante Colle, KolinArt, Michael DelRay, Tyler Wu, and Cris Fabio. [7]

Gay Porn Preferences

Here’s an overview of porn preferences among heterosexual, gay and bisexual men:

• Solo Acts of Masturbation: Most prevalent among bisexual men (60.8%), followed by heterosexual men (58.2%) and gay men (49.6%).
• Mutual Masturbation: More popular among gay (42.3%) and bisexual men (41.2%) compared to heterosexual men (24.6%).
• Oral Sex: Enjoyed across the board but slightly more prevalent among heterosexual men (89.6%).
• Rimming: Significantly more prevalent among gay (72.7%) and bisexual men (66%) than among heterosexual men (32.1%).
• Extreme Acts: Fisting is more prevalent among gay men (21%), while BDSM-related activities are similar among heterosexual and gay men.
• Watersports and Felching: Notably more prevalent among gay men, with 28.7% and 33.9%, respectively.
• Group Sex: Almost universally preferred by gay men when it involves only men (95.9%), while heterosexual men prefer mixed-gender group sex (85.8%). [8]

Here are the complete statistics: 

Condom Use Preference In Gay Porn 

Regarding condom use in porn featuring vaginal or anal sex, the preferences of heterosexual, gay, and bisexual men vary in intriguing ways.

Preferences for Condom Use in Vaginal Sex Porn

1. No Preference: Highest among gay men (45.1%), followed by bisexual men (41.5%) and heterosexual men (31.7%).
2. Without Condoms: Most common among heterosexual men (65%), with gay and bisexual men showing similar preferences (50.5% and 50%, respectively).
3. With Condoms: Least popular overall, but highest among bisexual men (8.5%).

Preferences for Condom Use in Anal Sex Porn

1. No Preference: Highest among bisexual men (41.3%), followed by heterosexual men (33%) and gay men (29.2%).
2. Without Condoms: More or less similar among heterosexual (61.7%) and gay men (64.4%) but lower for bisexual men (49.7%).
3. With Condoms: Slightly more preferred among bisexual men (9.1%) than gay (6.4%) or heterosexual men (5.3%). [8]

Here’s the full graphic: 

While watching condomless porn may be considered harmless, it's important to note its potential influence on sexual behavior. 

Research indicates that among men who have sex with men, porn can have a substantial impact on their engagement in riskier sexual activities.

Specifically:

• 48% of respondents reported that porn increased their likelihood of participating in riskier sex
• 29% had engaged in risky sexual behavior due to watching porn in the last three months
• 23% had had condomless anal sex within hours of viewing porn in the same time frame [9]

Gay Sex Positions (Top, Bottom, Versatile) Compared: Porn Versus Real Life

When examining gay sexual roles across various countries, the preferences for being a top, bottom, or versatile show marked differences. 

For instance:

1. Morocco, India, and Nigeria lead in the percentage of tops
2. Vietnam, Sweden, and Thailand have higher percentages of bottoms. 
3. Versatile individuals are most commonly found in countries like Venezuela, Guatemala, and Argentina. [10]

Moving to the United States, a survey of 55,464 profiles on gay.com revealed exciting nuances. 

Overall, 26.46% preferred the top role, 31.92% chose the bottom role, and the largest segment, 41.62%, identified as versatile.

State-specific preferences showed further variation:

• Wyoming: 44% preferred being bottoms
• West Virginia: Tops slightly outnumbered bottoms
• Oregon: Nearly half (48.42%) identified as versatile [11]

Switching gears to the adult industry:

A comprehensive study of 5,556 gay male porn stars revealed that:

1. An overwhelming 82.4% have performed versatile roles at some point in their careers
2. Only 10.8% and 6.8% exclusively took on the roles of tops and bottoms, respectively 

Unsurprisingly, the study also found that actors with larger penises were more likely to assume the top role. [12]

Read more, just click on the thumbnail below!

Gay Porn Racism 

Despite "Black" being one of the most searched terms in gay porn on Pornhub, racial inequality persists in the industry. [13]

From 2001 to 2016, Sean Cody - a prominent gay porn studio - featured only 28 non-white actors, making up a mere 2.7% of their talent pool. 

While there are signs of improvement, it's crucial to continue pushing for equal opportunities and greater diversity among performers.

Conclusion

This research article reveals surprising trends in gay pornography that challenge conventional views and have implications for sexual health in the LGBT community. 

For a deeper understanding of these impactful statistics, I invite you to read my core LGBT statistics article: 57 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Statistics: Dating, Health & Discrimination

Cheers, 

Coach Colt

Resources

[1] Jones, Jeffrey M. Gallup.com, Gallup, 22 Feb. 2023, https://news.gallup.com/poll/470708/lgbt-identification-steady.aspx. Accessed 28 Aug. 2023.

[2] “57 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Statistics: Dating, Health & Discrimination | Dating Armory.” Dating Armory, 18 June 2023, https://datingarmory.com/lesbian-gay-bisexual-statistics/. Accessed 28 Aug. 2023.

[3] “Gay Porn Pride – Pornhub Insights.” Pornhub.com, 2017, www.pornhub.com/insights/gay-porn-pride. Accessed 28 Aug. 2023

[4] “Girls Who like Boys Who like Boys – Pornhub Insights.” Pornhub.com, 2016, www.pornhub.com/insights/girls-like-boys-who-like-boys. Accessed 28 Aug. 2023.

[5] “Women Searching for Women – Pornhub Insights.” Pornhub.com, 2016, www.pornhub.com/insights/women-searching-for-women. Accessed 28 Aug. 2023.

[6] https://www.youporn.com/world/heterosexual-user-preferences/ 

[7] “The 2022 Pornhub Year in Review | Pornhub Insights.” Pornhub.com, 2022, www.pornhub.com/insights/2022-year-in-review. Accessed 28 Aug. 2023.

[8] Downing, Martin & Schrimshaw, Eric & Scheinmann, Roberta & Antebi-Gruszka, Nadav & Hirshfield, Sabina. (2017). Sexually Explicit Media Use by Sexual Identity: A Comparative Analysis of Gay, Bisexual, and Heterosexual Men in the United States. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 46. 10.1007/s10508-016-0837-9. 

[9] Schrimshaw, Eric & Antebi-Gruszka, Nadav & Downing, Martin. (2016). Viewing of Internet-Based Sexually Explicit Media as a Risk Factor for Condomless Anal Sex among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Four U.S. Cities. PloS one. 11. e0154439. 10.1371/journal.pone.0154439.

[10] Black, Alex. “Grindr Unwrapped: A Snapshot of Sex & Dating on Grindr in 2020.” Grindr.com, Grindr, 6 July 2023, www.grindr.com/blog/grindr-unwrapped-2020. Accessed 28 Aug. 2023.

[11] http://www.straightacting.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?p=222697 

[12] Michelides, Christian: Männlichkeitskonstruktionen der Pornografie zur Jahrtausendwende, Wien 2009

[13] Zach. “All of Sean Cody’s Men of Color, Ranked | STR8UPGAYPORN.” Str8upgayporn.com, 2016, http://str8upgayporn.com/sean-cody-latin-black-asian-gay-porn-stars/. Accessed 28 Aug. 2023.