Young straight men kiss their boyfriends on the mouth - even with tongue. And they don't think it's gay at all. A good sign, say British researchers: homophobia is on the decline
Male friendship and the kiss on the lips
A kiss on the lips between men? No longer a problem for many straight men. At least that's the conclusion drawn by a sex research study conducted by the University of Bath in England. In a survey, 89 per cent of the young men questioned stated that they occasionally kiss their friends on the mouth. 36 per cent have even kissed intensively with their tongue. Are they all gay? Absolutely not! The kisses are simply an expression of friendship.
"I had my first experience of kissing a man at university," reports Adi Adams. The sociology student helped organise the study. "I was a bit taken aback, but now it feels like a normal friendly gesture." The 26-year-old striker for Team Bath FC does not see his behaviour as gay. "I don't think it threatens my masculinity or my heterosexuality."
Tenderness as a sign of closeness
The researchers led by study director Eric Anderson appear to be on the trail of an astonishing liberalisation. "We had noticed that more and more men were uploading photos to Facebook in which they were kissing their friends," reports Adams. "We then realised that this was a way for men to show that they had made it into their closest circle of friends." In this respect, the men were similar to women, who are known to express their friendships more often with affection.
Male friendship in transition
Eric Anderson, who is gay himself, sees the results as a good sign: "Friendly kisses among heterosexual men are a consequence of decreasing homophobia," says the 42-year-old sociologist. At the colleges and universities analysed, open homophobia has almost completely disappeared. Being thought to be gay is no longer a catastrophe there.
"The kiss is a sign of affection in student social spaces, a sign of triumph on the football pitch or one of joy in the nightclub. But it never has a sexual meaning. It seems that young people generally become more and more open-minded with each generation."
Less homophobia — or just a small sample?
However, euphoric scientists should not be taken at their word. The biggest weakness of the study: the unrepresentative participants. The study surveyed 145 English pupils and students aged between 16 and 25 who were studying at two universities and one college (equivalent to the German sixth form). This means that only a relatively small number of mainly wealthy and well-educated young men were surveyed.
Why men’s kisses are still provocative
One indication that the kissing English are still an exception is a heated online discussion about the study on the website of the Australian newspaper Sydney Morning Herald. "LOL!" and "BAH!" were the friendlier comments. Tenor: Real men don't kiss other men.
The discussion was so heated that study director Eric Anderson personally intervened: "Although the students in our study know that this type of kissing represents taboo sexual behaviour, they have restructured it in such a way that it fits in with their heteromasculinity."
He is unlikely to have convinced commentator Gilberto. "Try kissing me on the mouth," he noted before the commentary function was switched off. "Then you'd have to pick your teeth up off the floor."
