Can porn change sexual orientation?

Tucked away in the detailed transcripts of the study discussed in the article Probing porn, was one question that was asked of all 41 respondents:

Some people believe that exposure to sexually explicit content can alter a person’s sexual orientation. Do you think that is possible?

The 4 researchers did not really analyse or discuss the replies to this question in their paper, so in this article, we shall take a look at the answers obtained.

As mentioned in the article Probing porn, there were altogether 41 respondents, roughly a quarter each of gay male, lesbian, heterosexual male and heterosexual female. It will be interesting to see if the answers produce any pattern. Having said that, it was a qualitative survey with a small sample, so we must not extrapolate our observations in any quantitative way. Moreover, all respondents were aged 21 - 30, thus the views they expressed might not reflect those of other age groups.

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Looking at the transcripts carefully, I classified the replies into 4 types.

The answer is graded "possible" when the respondent said that exposure to sexually explicit material may alter a person's sexual orientation.

Some respondents were essentially providing a theoretical answer, as when respondent #1 (gay male) said, "Why not? Anything is possible."

Or when respondent #14 (lesbian) said, "the media can be used to sway people’s opinions and beliefs so some people, it is possible for me to think that people might be swayed by such things."

Others said exposure may lead people to experimentation, and they may find themselves liking what they experience. Respondent #5 (lesbian) said, "After trying it once or twice, they decided they want to be like that, or switch camps hahaha, it is possible."

Respondent #35 (hetero male) noted that even when one sees it happening, one has to be careful about the arrow of causation. "I think it is plausible. I’m keeping an open mind. It is again difficult to distinguish cause and effect."

However, he cautioned against imputing negative value to it. "Change of sexual orientation shouldn’t automatically be a bad thing."

The answer is graded "conditionally possible" when the respondent indicates his or her belief that it can happen, but only under quite special circumstances, such as when they are very young.

For example, respondent #39 (hetero male) said, "If the person is impressionable, yes."

Hetero female #29 said some people "might want to try when they are totally disappointed with the other gender."

Respondent #22 (gay male) was quite insightful about the possibility that some people "may go into a homosexual relationship just for the gratification," when emotionally, they may not be homosexual. That gratification may be sexual (e.g. a guy who just can't score with girls) or monetary.

Hetero female respondent #31 seemed to subscribe to the hoary theory that homosexuality comes from an absence of a father-figure, when she said, "like a male role lacking in their lives, and when they view too much of like this porn, it will push them towards like…homosexuality?"

The answer is graded "not really possible" when the respondent doesn't rule it out, but at the same time indicates that he has reason to believe it's impossible. They are so classified if they used the phrase, "I don't think so." 

Often they start their reply with saying "it's possible", but then voice thoughts giving counter-indications. These thoughts are better indicators of their beliefs, as the opening remark of "it's possible" is often used to avoid stark disagreement with the interviewer, or to buy time.

More than one respondent noted the prevalence of straight porn, with the implication that the gay guys should have turned out straight. 

Respondent #3 (gay male) said, "there is no way you can put all the blame to porn. I mean if you are thinking of access, there is definitely greater access to straight porn."

Others pointed out that porn may be acting just as a trigger or a catalyst for an underlying orientation. Respondent #36 (hetero male) said, "It is just like education, some people learn from what they see and want to try to experience new things, but again it’s probably more of a catalyst."

Respondent #19 (gay male): "I think it triggers off something in them."

Lesbian #13 said, "Unless they don’t know they are not straight or they don’t know that they are straight", suggesting that there may be an underlying orientation the person may not be aware of.

Respondent #9 (gay male) provided another counter-indication. "Well…you’ve got gay parents who raised kids, and the kids turn out straight when all that they’ve known is a gay relationship from the parents," while hetero male #42 said, "Possibly. But gays have been around for quite a while haven’t they?"

The answer is graded "impossible" when the respondent gives an unequivocal answer.

Respondent #16 (gay male): "Is it possible for a person to turn gay…once the person is exposed to gay pornography? No."

Respondent #21 (gay male): "a person who is naturally not sexually attracted to gay porn for example would not find it very appealing. There will be some innate sense inside that will tell him this is not what he is looking for."

Hetero female #25 said, "No, I am a firm believer of the nature argument. I believe when God created us, we were born as such, and any discrepancy is a fault developed by that person."

Hetero male #33 said, "No, I don’t think so. I think it’s inborn, so if you are gay, you are gay, straight then you are straight. I mean I may enjoy watching gay porn because it involves beautiful people, but I don’t think I will ever become gay just because of that, it really takes a lot more, and if it’s inborn, how can anyone change that man?"

Respondent #7 (gay male) again referred to the greater availability of straight porn:, "No it is not possible because I started off watching straight porn! If it had affected me I would have been straight, but somewhere along the line, I felt that gay porn was more sexually gratifying for me."

Hetero male #41, a doctor, said, "No, you are who you are. Your sexuality is an innate thing. It cannot be changed by something like porn."

Lesbian #15 said, tongue in cheek, "I will try…and I will contact you in a hundred years’ time."

Two respondents gave responses that were unclassifiable. One, by a lesbian, was much too ambiguous. The other, by a straight male, essentially said, if orientation is inborn, then this, if bred, then that, but he didn't quite indicate his own belief.

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One common belief among gay males is that gays are sure that they didn't choose their sexual orientation, but many straights keep insisting they can (and should) change. Yet, if you look at the pattern of the answers, this belief is not supported at all.

Type of answers to the question: Some people believe that exposure to sexually explicit content can alter a person’s sexual orientation. Do you think that is possible?

At the risk of drawing more conclusions than is warranted by the sample, the spread of opinion among the males (gay and straight) look very similar. On the other hand, many lesbians acknowledged that porn (and by extension social and environmental influences) can have an effect. Straight females have a scatter somewhere between the lesbians and the males.

The males

The males seem pretty sure that porn has no effect on their orientation. To this, I will offer the following thoughts:

Firstly, males, straight and gay, are greater consumers of porn than females. With more familiarity, they are more confident when replying about what porn can do to them, and what porn cannot.

However, the males are not just sure than porn can't change them, from the transcripts, they're saying, nothing can. Thus, there is a high awareness, even among straight males of this sample, that sexual orientation is largely fixed.

You might point out that gay males' answers peaked at "impossible" while straight males' answers peaked at "not really possible". 

I don't think this is significant. Gay males have first-hand experience of being gay despite all kinds of pressures to be otherwise. Straight males have no first-hand experience of holding fast to their sexual orientation against popular pressure. Thus, they will never have the same sense of personal certainty that gay males have. For the straight males, theirs is a cognitive appreciation that the evidence points towards "impossible", not a personal one. Formulating it as "not really possible", or "well, perhaps it's possible but I don't think so" would be appropriate for their situation.

For example, Respondent #40 (hetero male) said, "Erm I don’t think so. Haven’t been in such a position to truly know. "

More specific to the question of exposure to porn, I can safely say all gay males have seen straight porn, while, I'm sure, many straight males have never seen gay male porn. Consequently one would expect that gay males can generally speak with more confidence about the effect, or lack of, of straight porn on them. Straight males as a group, may not have the same degree of certainty due to a lower degree of exposure.

The females

Now, what about the women? Why do many of them think that porn can alter sexual orientation? This really cries out for more in-depth studies.

In lieu of that, let me suggest that the basis of female sexuality has something to do with it. Theorists have postulated that males are more visually-driven and tend to objectify their erotic interest. Females on the other hand are more relational. The "who" counts more than the "what".

For this reason, males are far greater consumers of visual erotica, while females tend to go for pulp romance. They prefer the narrative fantasy.

I remember reading another study where it was found that men could enjoy erotica that didn't show the names and faces of any of the actors, just their bodies, but women didn't find them appealing at all. They strongly preferred material that showed faces, better yet, with names, even fictional names at least. They need to fantasize an affair with designated persons, not just to play with things.

This has also been associated with pop idolatry which is universally, a (young) female phenomenon. The "who" matters when it comes to worship, not "what".

It is therefore possible for women to conceive of falling for a person simply because he or she is the right person. If at different times, the right person is of different sexes, then of course, she would see herself as changing sexual orientation. The conceptual possibility of such a change may make it easier for women to consider the possibility that porn can affect orientation, and that orientation may swing like a pendulum. 

Having said that, something in me says the aetiology of female sexuality is probably quite complex too, and that some women may be more relational than others. That is to say some women may have orientations that are quite fixed, while others have orientations dependent on who is the beau or belle of the day.

You might have noticed the response from respondent #29 quoted above. Her full reply was, "Ya it might. It might arouse curiosity in that person, so those that are close to their female or male friends might want to try when they are totally disappointed with the other gender."

Did you notice it? She spoke of sexually explicit material in terms of "curiosity in that person", and she referred to the possibility of giving up one orientation after bad experiences.

This kind of opinion almost never comes out of gay men. Probably it never comes out of straight men either, but I hear it quite often from women, both gay and straight.

Clearly, if many women feel that relational, social and situational conditions can effect a change in sexual orientation, it is entirely understandable if they do not rule out the possibility that sexually explicit material can change your mind too. 

And here, if you're a male reader, beware: "Sexually explicit material" may not even connote visual erotica to women. For many, top of mind when referring to SEM may well be the pulp romance, with explicit descriptions of sex scenes. So even SEM can be relational in its emphasis, thus appealing to and affecting women. 

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You may argue that situational conditions can likewise affect a change in orientation in men. Examples like prisons are often cited. Usually such examples are flawed by a failure to understand "sexual orientation" as opposed to "sexual behaviour". When straight men can't get it with women, they have, throughout history, been quite good at getting it any way they can, with goats, melons, or other men. But substitutive sexual behaviour is quite different from orientation which by definition must have an affective component with romantic possibilities.

Porn, by arousing curiosity, may indeed temporarily change behaviour, though induction of trial and experimentation. But does it change one's affective outlook? One's orientation?

With that, you can guess my answer to the question the researchers posed: Unequivocally, no.

© Yawning Bread 

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