Over 11,000 users of the xHamster porn community responded to a data survey on their sexual preference. In the USA, 22% of the users defined themselves as bisexual. Nearly 5% of the users place themselves in the category »other«, which includes everything between heterosexual, homosexual and binary preferences.
According to the website, the playing field between the sexes is expanding and the boundaries between different sexual preferences are becoming blurred. 4% of the men and 31% of the women defining themselves as heterosexual do claim that they regularly watch same-sex porn content of their own gender.
Alex Hawkins is Vice President of xHamster. Commenting on the survey, he said: »These numbers are astounding, and nearly 10 times higher than what we see reported in previous studies. Perhaps viewing porn encourages you to think more broadly about your sexual identity. When it comes to getting off online, our sexuality is much more fluid than people are willing to admit.«
Bisexuals rarely feel ashamed of their porn consumption
In general, bisexual porn consumers also have a more laid-back relationship to their viewing habits. According to xHamster, the likelihood that they feel uncomfortable or conflicted about their porn consumption is 17% lower than for heterosexual users of the site. They also consider pornography as a healthy aspect of their sexuality more often than other users.
Overall, more women than men tend to describe themselves as bisexual. Hawkins says, »No matter what your sexuality, or what gets you off, we can learn a lot from the bisexual community. They don’t have nearly the same shame or conflict that so many people do about their sexual desire. Whether straight, gay or bi, more than a third of our audience now regularly enjoy same-sex films. While I wouldn’t necessarily say that porn turns you bi, it seems to help people come to terms with their own sexual fluidity.«
Study could bring religious zealots on the map
It is to be feared, however, that it will not be long before right-wing conservative censorship activists and religious zealots make this study their own and claim exactly that.
If you want to learn more, go to the xHamster website. Studies and surveys on porn consumption and sex life are regularly published on the company’s blog and often make headlines around the world.