If you’ve been paying attention to gay and transgender rights in the past few years, you know that we’ve made impressive strides, socially speaking. Not even 10 years ago, it was illegal in the United States for gay people to marry, and now LGBTQ content people are holding political office and changing the world.
So, why is our content still so focused on the heterosexual experience? Whether you’re watching streaming shows, movies, or broadcast TV, gay content is still virtually absent from every platform.
But, there’s one place where LGBTQ content individuals are not only represented but embraced. Even better, this medium is entering the next generation of technology to make content even more immersive and engaging.
We’re talking, of course, about gay VR porn. While it’s not necessarily the most glamorous way to blaze new trails, you have to start somewhere. Let’s take a closer look at how gay porn is making content more mainstream.
The Disconnect Between Gay and Straight Content
In modern times, it’s much more common to see gay characters on screen. This is a far cry from the early days of television when homosexuality was outright (although not explicitly) banned. It wasn’t until the 1970s and 80s when gay characters started to become more normalized, but even then, they were far from headlining shows or being a recurring character. Often, LGBTQ individuals were there to affect the straight characters rather than having agency over their bodies or lives.
According to a recent report by Nielsen, gay characters make up 6.7 percent of top 10 cast members on mainstream shows. Overall, LGBTQ characters account for roughly a quarter (26 percent) of all characters on 300+ shows across networks and streaming services.
While this representation is leaps and bounds ahead of what it was just a decade ago, there are still some areas where it’s lagging. For example, black and Hispanic LGBTQ characters are few and far between, and even then, they’re often not leads. But, progress is a marathon, not a sprint, and as long as queer actors and writers continue to push the envelope and create unique characters, representation will continue to matter.
How Porn is Leading the Charge for More LGBTQ Representation
But, where does gay VR porn fit into the mix? Well, when it comes to representation, all mediums matter. For many, many years, gay sex was considered taboo, so those who wanted to see themselves in sexy situations had to keep it on the QT. That said, some early films like Le ménage moderne de Madame Butterfly and The Surprise of a Knight (1920 and 1929, respectively) showed gay sex on screen. These films highlight the fact that gay sexuality has been around as long as humans and isn’t a recent phenomenon.
From its early days as a hidden guilty pleasure, gay porn has steadily become more mainstream. Characters talk about it on shows like Will and Grace, and even internet culture has taken elements of these movies and put them front and center. If you’re familiar with the meme “Really, right in front of my salad?” you know what we’re talking about.
So, as VR content becomes more in-demand, gay porn will continue to push boundaries and make gay content more accessible. After all, why should straight people be the only ones to enjoy this new and provocative medium?
The Future of LGBTQ Content Across Devices
As we head into the 2020s, gay content will only become more commonplace. However, we’ll also see some shifts from white, gay storylines to those featuring trans and BIPOC characters as well. While porn tends to favor white actors, a growing number of sites cater to a diverse range of interests and demographics. For example, SexLikeReal offers tons of gay VR content to satisfy anyone’s needs.
