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Whether you’re someone who identifies as gay, or simply an ally looking to be better informed, or just another curious person on the internet, whatever your reason or motivation to click on this piece is, we’re hoping to be of help.
Here are 7 gay sex terms you need to know to get better acquainted with the community, and how it goes about doing its thing:
These refer to the roles performed during sex. A Top is someone who does the penetration and the Bottom is the one who gets penetrated. A Versatile, on the other hand, is someone who can alternate between both roles.
The correct term for cleaning the insides of the rectal region using water or other such liquids, Douching is done both to flush out any faecal matter present prior to engaging in anal sex as well as to do a thorough cleanse after to avoid the transmission of STDs.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a highly effective medicine used by gay men to prevent getting HIV. The medicine has been statistically proven to reduce HIV transmission by up to 99% and since gay men tend to be at a higher risk of transmitting and receiving the virus, many of them use this medicine on a regular basis, after getting a subscription from their medical practitioner.
Not all gay men are out of the closet and make it clear to potential suitors by using the word ‘Discreet’ in their dating app bios. Such gay men prefer keeping things hidden, and you must only hit them up if you’re okay with it.
Back in the pre-digital era, when gay men had to meet one of their kind, they’d go to specific areas in their cities, walking or driving around to meet potential matches. Such encounters were mostly casual and limited to sex. Hence the term, Cruising. However, the term has over time come to include going to a gay bar or event to meet men from the community as well.
This is a common Grindr acronym that simply stands for No Picture, No Chat. As the name suggests, gay men add this in their dating app bios to let other men know that they won’t bother initiating any conversation without seeing a picture of the other person.
This one’s another Grindr term that simply suggests that the person using it in their bio won’t reveal any marker of their identity. No name, phone number or social media pages. They’re only looking for a casual encounter, and just for that one time. They’re ‘anon’, short for anonymous, and prefer keeping it that way.
