Top and bottom in sex and BDSM
Encyclopedia
In human sexuality
, the terms top, bottom, and versatile describe roles during sexual intercourse
, particularly among gay and bisexual men
. A top is a person who penetrates, a bottom is one who receives penetration, and a versatile engages in both activities. These terms may be elements of self-identity that indicate an individual's usual preference, but might also describe broader social, psychological, and/or sexual identities.
Top, bottom, and versatile are also used in BDSM
to describe similar—but distinct—BDSM identities and practices.
during anal sex
and oral sex
. Top is also used as a verb meaning "to penetrate another." Top may also describe a broader personal identity involving dominance in a romantic and/or sexual relationship; however, this stipulation is not a requisite element of being a top.
Several related terms exist. A is one who tops exclusively. A is one noted for their great skill and/or aggressiveness in topping. A is one who tops under the direction of an eager bottom. A is one who prefers to top but who bottoms occasionally.
The terms or are synonyms of top created to describe the act of penetrating without implying non-egalitarian relations among participants.
Trevor Hart of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention found in the 2003 publication of The Journal of Sex Research that self-identified tops were indeed vastly more likely to act as the penetrative partner. The study also found that a top is also more likely to act as the penetrative partner in other sexual activities, such as oral sex
and sex toy
play.
during anal sex
. Bottom is also used as a verb meaning "to be penetrated by another, whether anally or orally." Bottom may also describe a wider social context of submission within a romantic and sexual relationship, although this element does not apply to all people who prefer to bottom.
A is someone who aggressively enjoys being the receptive partner. A is one who prefers to bottom but who tops occasionally. The term or may be preferred by some, or or , i.e. men who take a proactive role, as they would be expected to with a woman; oral bottoms on the other hand are men who want oral penetration in their mouth and throat, to the point of irrumatio
at times.
between two men. Both participants penetrate the other and get penetrated.
Versatility is a concept of life style. Most men who have sex with men
do not fit the gay stereotypes. They are neither effeminate
nor openly gay
. "In large cities in the United States, gay men are for the most part expected to be versatile, not only in top versus bottom roles (if any) but also in the choice of particular acts (e.g., oral, anal, masturbatory)." Versatility though is not limited to the simple acts of oral
and anal penetration, but also includes the splitting of duties and responsibilities in the relationship
.
According to some, living a versatile life style implies a certain openness to new things and an opposition to labels, stereotype
s and generalization
s. Therefore this concept differs from heterosexual relationships where sexual compatibility does not begin with guessing who will end up as top or bottom.
In self description
s of men seeking sex with other men they may refer to themselves as a versatile top or versatile bottom in addition to other commonly used terms.
A 2009 Austrian study on gay pornography
has shown that at least 82.4% of all men performing in the male porn industry are versatile at one point or the other during their career
. The study also found that the actor with the larger penis
was more likely to act as the top.
Versatility is a common theme of erotic artist Tom of Finland
.
from the United States
showed that 26.46% preferred top, while 31.92% preferred bottom, and the largest group (41.62%) preferred versatile. The preferences seemed to vary by state, however. In Wyoming, for example, 16% preferred top, 44% preferred bottom, and 40% preferred versatile. In West Virginia, tops outnumbered bottoms by a slim margin (32% top, 29% bottom, and 39% versatile). In Oregon, "versatile" profiles made up nearly half (48.42%).
, the terms top, bottom, and switch are related, but BDSM-distinct phenomenon. BDSM seems to have adopted and derived
these terms as loan words from gay culture.
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
, the terms top, bottom, and versatile describe roles during sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
, particularly among gay and bisexual men
Men who have sex with men
Men who have sex with men are male persons who engage in sexual activity with members of the same sex, regardless of how they identify themselves; many men choose not to accept sexual identities of homosexual or bisexual...
. A top is a person who penetrates, a bottom is one who receives penetration, and a versatile engages in both activities. These terms may be elements of self-identity that indicate an individual's usual preference, but might also describe broader social, psychological, and/or sexual identities.
Top, bottom, and versatile are also used in BDSM
BDSM
BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
to describe similar—but distinct—BDSM identities and practices.
Top
A top is a person who engages in the penetrative role in sexual intercourse with his penisPenis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
during anal sex
Anal sex
Anal sex is the sex act in which the penis is inserted into the anus of a sexual partner. The term can also include other sexual acts involving the anus, including pegging, anilingus , fingering, and object insertion.Common misconception describes anal sex as practiced almost exclusively by gay men...
and oral sex
Oral sex
Oral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Anilingus refers to oral stimulation of a person's anus...
. Top is also used as a verb meaning "to penetrate another." Top may also describe a broader personal identity involving dominance in a romantic and/or sexual relationship; however, this stipulation is not a requisite element of being a top.
Several related terms exist. A is one who tops exclusively. A is one noted for their great skill and/or aggressiveness in topping. A is one who tops under the direction of an eager bottom. A is one who prefers to top but who bottoms occasionally.
The terms or are synonyms of top created to describe the act of penetrating without implying non-egalitarian relations among participants.
Trevor Hart of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention found in the 2003 publication of The Journal of Sex Research that self-identified tops were indeed vastly more likely to act as the penetrative partner. The study also found that a top is also more likely to act as the penetrative partner in other sexual activities, such as oral sex
Oral sex
Oral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Anilingus refers to oral stimulation of a person's anus...
and sex toy
Sex toy
A sex toy is an object or device that is primarily used to facilitate human sexual pleasure. The most popular sex toys are designed to resemble human genitals and may be vibrating or non-vibrating...
play.
Bottom
A bottom is someone who receives penetration during intercourse, usually through the anusAnus
The anus is an opening at the opposite end of an animal's digestive tract from the mouth. Its function is to control the expulsion of feces, unwanted semi-solid matter produced during digestion, which, depending on the type of animal, may be one or more of: matter which the animal cannot digest,...
during anal sex
Anal sex
Anal sex is the sex act in which the penis is inserted into the anus of a sexual partner. The term can also include other sexual acts involving the anus, including pegging, anilingus , fingering, and object insertion.Common misconception describes anal sex as practiced almost exclusively by gay men...
. Bottom is also used as a verb meaning "to be penetrated by another, whether anally or orally." Bottom may also describe a wider social context of submission within a romantic and sexual relationship, although this element does not apply to all people who prefer to bottom.
A is someone who aggressively enjoys being the receptive partner. A is one who prefers to bottom but who tops occasionally. The term or may be preferred by some, or or , i.e. men who take a proactive role, as they would be expected to with a woman; oral bottoms on the other hand are men who want oral penetration in their mouth and throat, to the point of irrumatio
Irrumatio
Irrumatio, also called irrumation, is a type of sexual intercourse performed by actively thrusting one's penis into a partner's mouth and throat. It may also be the thrusting of the penis between the legs, breasts, feet, upper thighs , or between the abdomens of two partners."Latin erotic...
at times.
Versatile
Versatile, also known as , refers to a person who enjoys both topping and bottoming, or being dominant and submissive, and may alternate between the two in sexual situations. Flip-flop commonly describes switching from top to bottom during one sexual encounterAnal sex
Anal sex is the sex act in which the penis is inserted into the anus of a sexual partner. The term can also include other sexual acts involving the anus, including pegging, anilingus , fingering, and object insertion.Common misconception describes anal sex as practiced almost exclusively by gay men...
between two men. Both participants penetrate the other and get penetrated.
Versatility is a concept of life style. Most men who have sex with men
Men who have sex with men
Men who have sex with men are male persons who engage in sexual activity with members of the same sex, regardless of how they identify themselves; many men choose not to accept sexual identities of homosexual or bisexual...
do not fit the gay stereotypes. They are neither effeminate
Effeminacy
Effeminacy describes traits in a human male, that are more often associated with traditional feminine nature, behaviour, mannerisms, style or gender roles rather than masculine nature, behaviour, mannerisms, style or roles....
nor openly gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
. "In large cities in the United States, gay men are for the most part expected to be versatile, not only in top versus bottom roles (if any) but also in the choice of particular acts (e.g., oral, anal, masturbatory)." Versatility though is not limited to the simple acts of oral
Oral sex
Oral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Anilingus refers to oral stimulation of a person's anus...
and anal penetration, but also includes the splitting of duties and responsibilities in the relationship
Intimate relationship
An intimate relationship is a particularly close interpersonal relationship that involves physical or emotional intimacy. Physical intimacy is characterized by romantic or passionate love and attachment, or sexual activity. The term is also sometimes used euphemistically for a sexual...
.
According to some, living a versatile life style implies a certain openness to new things and an opposition to labels, stereotype
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
s and generalization
Generalization
A generalization of a concept is an extension of the concept to less-specific criteria. It is a foundational element of logic and human reasoning. Generalizations posit the existence of a domain or set of elements, as well as one or more common characteristics shared by those elements. As such, it...
s. Therefore this concept differs from heterosexual relationships where sexual compatibility does not begin with guessing who will end up as top or bottom.
In self description
Self-determination (philosophy)
Self-determination is the idea of a positive freedom, a freedom for actions that we originate, actions that are "up to us." Such acts constitute the essence of free will. This is Mortimer Adler's term, translating ideas from Aristotle and Aquinas...
s of men seeking sex with other men they may refer to themselves as a versatile top or versatile bottom in addition to other commonly used terms.
A 2009 Austrian study on gay pornography
Gay pornography
Gay pornography is the representation of sexual intercourse between men with the primary goal of sexual arousal in its audience. There is also a tradition, and continuing considerable output, of lesbian pornography....
has shown that at least 82.4% of all men performing in the male porn industry are versatile at one point or the other during their career
Career
Career is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as a person's "course or progress through life ". It is usually considered to pertain to remunerative work ....
. The study also found that the actor with the larger penis
Human penis size
Human penis size is the measured length and width of the human penis. The most accurate measurement of the human penis comes from several measurements at different times, as there is natural variability in size due to arousal level, time of day, room temperature, frequency of sexual activity, and...
was more likely to act as the top.
Versatility is a common theme of erotic artist Tom of Finland
Tom of Finland
Touko Laaksonen, best known by his pseudonym Tom of Finland was a Finnish artist notable for his stylized androerotic and fetish art and his influence on late twentieth century gay culture. He has been called the "most influential creator of gay pornographic images" by cultural historian Joseph W...
.
Role vs. Position
Top, Bottom, and Versatile, as used in regards to sex between males, refer specifically to penetration role, regardless of the physical positioning during sex. For example, in positions where the inserting partner lies on his back and the receptive partner straddles the inserting partner, the inserting partner is still considered to assuming the "top" role, even though he is positioned on the bottom (and vice-versa). When used in reference to heterosexual and lesbian sex, the terms top, bottom, and versatile usually refer only to position and not to penetrative role.Prevalence
No scientific study has ever been conducted as to what percentage of the gay and bisexual male population prefers any given role. The popular assumption is that the majority prefer to bottom and that those that prefer to top are in the minority. A tally of 55,464 profiles on gay.comGay.com
gay.com is a chat, personals, and social networking website catering to the LGBT community. The site is a digital brand of Here Media Inc. In addition to community features, the site features LGBT-related news and features. As of September 2005, San Jose Mercury News ranked gay.com as the most...
from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
showed that 26.46% preferred top, while 31.92% preferred bottom, and the largest group (41.62%) preferred versatile. The preferences seemed to vary by state, however. In Wyoming, for example, 16% preferred top, 44% preferred bottom, and 40% preferred versatile. In West Virginia, tops outnumbered bottoms by a slim margin (32% top, 29% bottom, and 39% versatile). In Oregon, "versatile" profiles made up nearly half (48.42%).
In BDSM
In BDSMBDSM
BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
, the terms top, bottom, and switch are related, but BDSM-distinct phenomenon. BDSM seems to have adopted and derived
Derivation (linguistics)
In linguistics, derivation is the process of forming a new word on the basis of an existing word, e.g. happi-ness and un-happy from happy, or determination from determine...
these terms as loan words from gay culture.
See also
- Anal sexAnal sexAnal sex is the sex act in which the penis is inserted into the anus of a sexual partner. The term can also include other sexual acts involving the anus, including pegging, anilingus , fingering, and object insertion.Common misconception describes anal sex as practiced almost exclusively by gay men...
- List of sexual positions
- Seme and uke, related terms in JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese animeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
and mangaMangaManga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
publications and fandomFandomFandom is a term used to refer to a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of sympathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest...