BEAR Magazine

Dating a gay guy

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Many of these men are single guys just seeking some fun. They could be your neighbor or someone you know. Do you agree to keep the identity of these men secret?

Do you accept to use a condom when you have sex with a partner who you meet on our site?

You can now see our list of men who are in your area and you can see their pictures. We ask you again please keep dems identity secret.

I’m attracted to other men. should i leave my wife?

Thanks for your question. It sounds like there are a tangle of conflicts here and I empathize with what I think I hear in your question, which is that you are having feelings which are somehow “wrong” to have, which I imagine is very uncomfortable, even painful. Holding a secret you feel you can’t share with your spouse is often a tough place to be.

In fact, I almost wonder what might happen to your curiosity about men if your spouse heard and accepted this about yourself—or if somehow these feelings became less dangerous and more human. How do has some interesting inclinations!)

The fact is, our sexuality falls on a spectrum and some of us develop attractions for people of both genders. It’s normal to have fantasies of what sex with the same gender is like, at least occasionally, and some have them more consciously than others—and the very idea is more accepted in some cultures than others. (In ancient Greece, there was no man you’ve found “hot” or fantasized about? (Our bodies are pretty clear about attraction.) Perhaps your curiosity about men carries some kind of psychological symbolism—i.e., that you’re hoping for greater emotional freedom and acceptance of “unmanly” aspects of you, especially if you feel pressured to be “strong” or “tough” (like your wife, it sounds like) in a conservative environment. If your desire for men were accepted, you might have wider emotional latitude. Or perhaps the idea of surrendering that strength in order to feel protected is part of the appeal; sometimes it’s nice for us guys to take off the Superman cape and let someone else drive, especially if we’ve lacked close male relationships.

Because us guys are so often prohibited from being vulnerable or “emotional”—which we are; in spite of what culture says about Mars vs. Venus, we’re just emotional we can sometimes long for more intimate but not necessarily physical relationships with men, though sometimes that longing is physical; or we have sexual desires that contain emotional longings for connection. These are chicken-and-egg questions that are worthy of further reflection, I think, with the understanding that this might be frightening in the cultural context (and I live in liberal Los Angeles, so it’s easy for me to say) but which are nothing but human at the end of the day. Have you considered discussing this with a therapist?

As awkward and shameful as it might feel, each of us is unique in who or what we find desirable, and while sexual desire is often mysterious or even frightening, when you boil it down it’s related to longings for love, affection, and safety. In a way, all the about sexuality is a red herring and reflect our neurotic cultural bias; imagine if you substituted “other women” for “men” in your question. I find it admirable that you’re not willing to ignore something so vital in your psyche and are searching for answers, which to me indicates courage and integrity. Something tells me there’s a conversation that needs to happen between you and your wife (perhaps with the help of a couples counselor), when the time is right. My sense is that you have a longing to feel safer and less guarded where you live, in a psychological, emotional, and possibly sexual sense. There’s certainly no shame in any of that. You might want to do some research on bisexuality. There are some excellent online resources for people experiencing what you are.

After some sifting, it might become clearer what it is you’re needing from your wife, whether that’s a more emotionally flexible relationship, or even the opportunity to explore this topic in an open, mutually respectful way. Sometimes deciding between commitment and sexual freedom/ experimentation, regardless of gender, is a difficult choice, especially for men who marry young, as you have. And like it or not, our psyches, sexuality, and selfhood continue to evolve over time; thanks for writing, and bravo for having the courage of emotional self-assertion.

The most common issues faced by gay couples – guest post by michael moran

Michael Moran, LCSW, CST | March 3, 2021 Category: Committed Relationship

As an openly gay therapist who specializes at the intersection of couples and sex therapy, a large number of the clients I see are also gay. And one of the dynamics I often bump up against with these clients in particular is the gap between sexual and relational compatibility. Meaning that while a person may be an ideal dating partner, this does not necessarily translate into them being an ideal sexual partner, and vice versa.

This can make things complicated, as there is often so much riding on sex with gay men. While sex is an important component to any relationship, gay men often experience sex as the top priority, and so sex comes first: it’s the doorway to a relationship. If the sex is good, then these men become interested in dating the other person. Or in some cases in which the sex isn’t so great, they enjoy the relationship and each other’s company so much they develop an investment in the sex becoming great.

Of course, there’s nothing inherently bad or wrong about any of this. But whether we want to chalk these dynamics up to hormones and behavior and/or the urban cultural milieu of gay dating in a big city, it can put intense pressure on partners to have sex that is mind-blowingly awesome. This pressure alone can cause problems inside the bedroom and out. And this is where I come in.

I help my clients unpack the love-lust split that so often occurs and, together, we make sense of what’s going on so they can eventually sail toward more fulfilling sexual seas.

Then, once a relationship really gets rolling, I often help couples navigate the sexual shift from spontaneous sexual desire to a more relational, responsive desire. During the first six to 18 months of a relationship—when the relationship chemicals are doing their thing and two partners’ brains are high on this neuro-chemical cocktail—sexual desire is usually spontaneous. Think of it as nature’s way of ensuring we stay interested in and focused on our partner. Slowly, however, these chemicals stop being secreted, and this is when the sexual dynamic usually shifts.

Some couples move through this period organically and find their way toward responsively-attuned sex. But other couples hit that point where there ceases to be a free-flowing, spontaneous sexual charge, freak out, and land in my office.

This is a problem that both gay and straight couples experience, but I find that gay men in particular can get stuck at these crossroads because satisfying, erotically-charged sex is such an essential ingredient to maintaining the integrity of the relationship.

Russia: new anti-gay crackdown in chechnya

They screamed at me. One of them started kicking me, I dropped to the floor, flat on my stomach… Another one then beat me with a stick, from the waist down, he was hitting me very hard for some five minutes. Then they made me kneel on the floor and put metal clips on my thumbs [the wires were hooked to a device delivering electric shocks], he turned the knob [of the device], first slowly and then faster and faster… With every turn, my hands bounced up and excruciating pain went through them… He stopped when I screamed my heart was about to burst. They took the clips off and my hands were heavy and felt dead.

The interrogators wanted Anzor to confess to being gay and to implicate his partner. Police seemed to have information about Anzor’s relationship, including the circumstances of their last meeting. The police officers also showed him photos of other men they believed to be gay and asked whether he knew them, and other questions.They shaved off Anzor’s beard in the toilet and took him to a large cell behind an iron door at the end of the corridor. The cell held about 40 inmates. One, “Vakha,” sat in a corner apart from the rest:

When they brought me there, one of the officers said, “They brought in another pansy, and another one said, “So, that other one won’t be lonely,” and they all laughed. That [other] guy was huddled in a corner… The others were all [suspected] drug users and [jihadi sympathizers].

Police brought in Anzor’s acquaintance, Aslanbek, later that day:

I knew they had him before they brought him to the cell. I recognized his voice as they tortured him – I heard his screams. When they threw him into the cell… he was in very bad shape. He was holding his side… He sat next to me. When they questioned him, like with me, they showed him photos of other gays and asked whether he knew them…

Anzor described how police beat and humiliated him and Aslanbek in front of the other inmates:

They were three or five [police], I don’t quite recall but one of them, Maga, had a stick with a black handle. They yelled, “Where are the pansies?” They ordered [Aslanbek and me] to get up. They began to humiliate us, verbally, using obscene words, calling us fags, asking which one of us is active, which one passive, whether we derived pleasure [from having sex with a man]. And all the inmates were watching… They hit [us] on the head with their sticks… Then, they left but another three officers walked in. They were coming in groups for a long time – smaller groups and bigger groups…[T]hey entertained themselves by mocking us, beating us.

The next day, police officers had Anzor, Aslanbek, and Vakha clean the corridor, wash the toilet, the floor, and the doors leading to various rooms, some of which were sealed. The police mocked the three inmates and shaved their heads, and again questioned Anzor and Aslanbek, kicking them and beating them with sticks.

On the third day, police brought in a gay man, “Khussein,” whom Anzor knew personally, and then yet another presumably gay man, “Rustem,” whom he did not know. Police forced Anzor to stand up, lower his pants, and show the bruises on his buttocks and upper legs. They told Khussein, “If you don’t fess up, that’s what’ll happen to you” and then made Anzor shave off Khussein’s hair. Toward the end of the day, Vakha was led out of the cell and did not return. Anzor heard police officers say he was released to his family.On day four, police brought in two more presumably gay men and forced Anzor to shave off their beards and hair. Policemen put the two new inmates in another room on the same floor and Anzor did not see them again.

For the first four days, Anzor and the other presumably gay inmates in the large cell were not allowed to pray with the other inmates, and police would not let them eat or drink. They had access to water only when forced to clean the floor and the toilet daily.On day five, police moved all the presumably gay inmates to a small separate cell. Just before they changed cells, three police officers took Anzor and Aslanbek to a garage across from the main building. They ordered both to strip, forced them to crouch by the wall, beat them on the head and buttocks, and subjected them to further torture and abuse. Then, the two captives were dragged back to the building. That evening, police released Aslanbek to his father.

On the seventh day, police officials gathered Anzor’s relatives and a religious cleric at the police department. Police exposed Anzor as gay, shamed him in their presence, and shamed his father for allowing this “stain” on their family honor. Finally, they allowed Anzor to leave with his father. Several days later, Anzor fled Chechnya.“Khussein,” 24Khussein said police officials physically abused him and other inmates presumed to be gay and wanted him to name other presumably gay men. He said officials beat him on the buttocks, cut and beat the backs of his hands, and beat him on the head with a polypropylene pipe. “They wanted information about other gays, they wanted addresses,” he said.

Movsar, who had lived outside Chechnya for several years, said that he went to Grozny to attend a family wedding. That evening, he got together at a relative’s apartment with a man he had just met on a dating app. About 30 minutes after his date left, someone claiming he was the neighborhood duty officer knocked at the door. Movsar said: “So I opened the door. I saw three big guys. Then I understood… that I had been set up.”The men drove Movsar to a garage on the compound of the Grozny Internal Affairs Department. They sat him on a chair, and one said, “If you don’t want to be tortured, tell me [which gay men] you know.” When Movsar said he did not know anyone, the men taped his arms and legs to the chair and brought over what Movsar described as a shock device. They attached wires to Movsar’s index and middle finger, using butterfly clips, and turned the crank.

After what seemed to be the first night (because both windows were darkened, Movsar lost track of time), two of his captors took Movsar back to the garage’s main room. “They started to insult me, [saying] ‘Did you have sex last night? Do you want us to torture you again?’” Then the men used electric shocks on Movsar’s earlobes, causing him to fall off the chair several times. “I couldn’t hold myself up,” Movsar said.Police then took Movsar to one of the three lock-up cells on the first floor, which held eight to10 people. Later, the police put in the same cell one of Movsar’s acquaintances, who had been also rounded up because of his presumed sexual orientation. They were the only presumably gay detainees in the cell. Police did not take Movsar for further interrogations or torture sessions and released him towards the end of December, threatening to kill him if he told anyone what had happened.

At the end of February, four men came to his apartment. “I knew right away who they were. They started saying, ‘You’re gays, you’re faggots’… I started denying it. They started beating me, asking questions, telling me to name other [gay people].”The police official instructed the others to take Albert to the basement, where the same two men who had detained him beat him with a pipe:

They insulted me, asked me to “give up others like you, we know you’re gay, tell us. Sooner or later we’ll find out, we break everyone.” [Eventually,] I fell, they left me there. About an hour later, they brought in a thing, it looked like an old phone. They put me on a chair… and started to turn the knob, and from this your hands clench… I can’t describe the pain. This went on for some 15 minutes, with breaks.

Albert stayed alone for three days in the basement, sleeping on a piece of cardboard on the floor. Police brought him water but no food. On March 2, they took him to an office on the second floor, photographed and fingerprinted him, asked a few questions about where he studied and lived, then put him in a civilian car and took him home. Albert attributed his release to connections his friends have among authorities, who interceded on his behalf.

Albert “couldn’t move” the first day after his release and recovered slowly. He said he had bruises on his arms, back, and the backs of his thighs, which faded fast, but even a month after his ordeal, he had difficulty moving his arms.Threats Against a Leading LGBT Rights ActivistOn January 29, the day Igor Kochetkov of Russian LGBT Network filed the crime report with Russia’s chief investigative agency, a YouTube video with explicit threats against him began circulating on social media. In the video, which YouTube later removed, Ali Baskhanov, a leader of a pro-government group in Chechnya, calls Kochetkov a “son of the devil” and a “beast,” tells him to stay away from Chechnya, and warns him that Chechnya could become his “final stop.”

Bear-magazine.com’t

Relationships are tough. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure that out. While there are no hard and fast rules to making a relationship work, there are some things that men in romantic relationships with other men should do their best to avoid. Yes, some of these things are helpful tips for people of all genders in any relationship, but you’ll notice that a number of the things listed are specific to gay/bi men. Here they are: 28 things gay/bi men never do in healthy relationships.

1. compare yourself to him

When you’re in a different-sex relationship, it’s much harder to compare yourself to your partner directly. But if you’re a man dating another man, it’s difficult NOT to compare yourself to your spouse. Nevertheless, try your best not to. Nothing good can come from this. You are two different people with different strengths and weaknesses. He may have a better body, but you’re a kinder person. He may make more money, but you may help more people. You want someone to balance you, because of this, there will be things he is better at than you are and that’s 100 percent ok. 

3. tolerate homophobic remarks from family

You or he may come from a homophobic family who calls your sexual identity a “lifestyle.” They also may harass you with other homophobic remarks. A healthy same-sex couple does not tolerate homophobia from family. If your family harasses your partner with intolerant remarks, stand up for him. 

4. don’t get jealous of random guys

It’s tough not to get jealous when guys check him out and not you — or guys always flirt with him and not you. It makes you feel like the uglier one in the relationship. And if you are, so what? It means you’re dating up. It means he likes you for more than your looks. It means you’re a real, awesome person!

9. force him into the closet

Yes, there are some circumstances when a boyfriend asks you to closet yourself in front of an old, dying homophobic grandma or something like that, but I’d say 95 percent of the time, he shouldn’t ask you to closet yourself. It took him years to come out. The struggle was real. You’re asking too much of your partner to re-closet himself, even if it’s for a short period.

18. forbid him to talk to all exes

I was kind of torn about putting this on here, but I think it’s important to add. I don’t talk to serious exes. I’m friends with many guys I dated/slept with casually, but men I’ve previously loved and had a very intense relationship with, I don’t talk to. In my opinion, nothing good can come from it. For me, it’s tough to move on when I’m still friends with a close ex. And frankly, I don’t need any more friends. Nevertheless, many gay men are still friends with guys they seriously dated. Good for them! You need to trust your partner when he says they’re just friends. You can’t forbid him from talking to exes. You don’t own him like that. You can express your reservations about it (e.g., You know his ex was manipulative, so you’re wary of their friendship), but you can’t force him to do anything.

20. secretly using hookup apps

So this pertains more to when you’re just starting a serious relationship, right as you’re getting to know him. Don’t be on hookup or dating apps when you’re with him. If I’m honest, I have done this in the past. I’d check my Grindr/Tinder when he went to the bathroom to see if another guy has messaged me. Be in the moment. There’s plenty of time to check out Grindr later when you’re pooping on the toilet.

How do i approach these problems with my own clients?

I like to tell my gay male couples that I can help them connect their hearts with their genitals. I look at the whole picture—the whole relationship—and work from there. And that means looking at both members of a sexual partnership. For this reason, I ask men—especially men in committed relationships who nevertheless come to see me on their own—if they would be willing to make their partner a part of the therapeutic process. Sometimes, clients are reluctant to do this. Why this hesitance? In some cases, they don’t want to be seen by their partner as anxious. Or they don’t want to let their partner in on what’s really going on for them beneath the surface.

In short, they don’t want their partner to see the parts of themselves that they are most insecure about.

Men, gay or straight, are often under the myth that they have to be sex machines. They feel they must always be able to instantly produce a rock-hard erection and have mind-blowing sex for hours and hours and hours; the last thing they want is to be seen as vulnerable. I help them debunk these myths and let their partner get to know them as people who have feelings and vulnerabilities just like everyone else. This fosters intimacy, which is so much more fulfilling than having to adhere to rigid stereotypes that ultimately let down everyone involved. I help them see this work as an opportunity to deepen intimacy and connection with their partner. I help illumine that, through these seeming “challenges,” they have an opportunity to let their partner in on who they really are.

As for my single clients who have sexual concerns but who are not dating anyone regularly, we explore what’s occurring from the context of their individual experience—although usually it has a relational component.

Either way, this is where we get to work. No matter the issue—premature ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, arousal nonconcordance, or loss of attraction—we get down to the business of exploring what’s really going on within them and between them. This means really analyzing what’s happening for them individually, as well as their collective sexual script (the blueprint for how they approach their sexual roles within the relationship and how they impact each other). We take a closer look at what it means to be sexual with someone they love.

Additionally, we look at the relationship through the lens of the dual-control model: what are their turn-ons? What really gets them going? And what really turns them off? Where is the gas pedal and where are the brakes? As we delve deeper, we explore the entire continuum of a couple’s sexual response, starting at the initial stirrings of desire and moving forward through arousal, the plateau period, orgasm, and finally the resolution phase.

Sometimes, especially with gay men, I find that we can pigeonhole our long-term partners and see them in decidedly non-sexual ways, which of course impacts desire.

Eros gets thwarted, and sometimes it has to do with the anxiety generated from truly committing to someone. When people become more emotionally connected and reliant on each other, they’ve got more skin in the game, which can throw a wrench into the sex.

I normalize and validate all of this and we learn what dots they are connecting that contribute to this anxiety. I help them appreciate that most of us struggle with these dynamics to some extent, and that this certainly need not be the death knell to fulfilling relational and sexual connection. Anxiety can hijack our sexual response and we have to deconstruct that together. As I tell my clients all the time, when we’re in any degree of fight-or-flight, the body is not interested in having awesome sex. It’s more about survival than connection.

What if someone is not sure whether or not therapy is the answer?

The first thing I’d say—if you’re in a relationship—is to talk to your partner about your concerns. If you’re not in a committed relationship, find a friend to talk to. Chances are you’ve already scoured the internet for information, but connecting with other people will help you see that this stuff is more common than you think.

On the other hand, I work with gay men all the time who aren’t comfortable doing that, so they see a professional instead. If you’ve done your research and things aren’t improving, sometimes it takes someone who’s truly trained in deconstructing what’s happening to help you understand what’s going on.

There are so many factors at play that can derail satisfying sexual desire and arousal, including how we view ourselves and our partners, in addition to all the behavioral, relational, and environmental factors. Sex therapists are trained to look at the whole picture. Either way, the key lies in understanding what’s occurring beneath the surface. Sexual problems in relationships and their resolution are usually rooted in relational dynamics that are best tackled together.

Jodi

I don’t think that I would make any hasty decisions. What if you then left your wife and then decided that that wasn’t the right move either? I don’t know where your sexuality falls, and it could just be that you are lacking something in your marriage and you are looking for that elsewhere and this just happens to be what is attractive to you at this moment. I definitely think that I would take a little bit of time with this kind of decision because you wnat to be sure that whatever move that you make is the right one for now and for the future.

Ade

I was once married to a great womanI also had those gay thoughts and feelingsFor other menSo I acted upon this and ended up leaving her and being the gay man I always thought I wasTry before you buy I say you never know you may like it or even better love it like I did and still do

Jacob

Perhaps this is a part of yourself that you have been trying to hide from other people, and this is the time where you are feeling it even more intensely.

I say that if this is what you feel, then there is no sense in denying these feelings. So you may be gay, so what? Society is far more open to that today than maybe even five years ago. I want to encourage you to be your true self, accept that authenticity. If that mean leaving your wife and pursuing love elsewhere, then if you do it in a way that does no harm then I think that in the end you will be much happier with your decision.

Miguel martinez

This situation is more common than you would believe. When a human is born there are needs essential for it to trive. It’s more than just food. The studies have shown that 30 out of 100 babies died as a result of not bonding to a person which requires, hugging, kissing, caressing, and being made to feel that they are important and wanted. Gangs fulfill some of these needs. Male bonding is essential for our lives. For a man to be kindly affectionet to another man takes a real man who has taken his stand on who and what he is. Sex is one thing and love is love. Man to women, women to women, man to man, it does not make any difference. You had the need of being bonded as a baby human. Did you stop being human because you grew up? Fall in love with whoever I say. You’ll find that this will not diminish your love for your wife. If anything you’ll want her more. We as men can be in love with other men and we don’t have to express it via sex. If a man will give his life for another man, does that make him gay. When I say I am in love with you. It means I think about all the time. When I say I like being with you because I like how you make me laugh, I like how I feel when I am with you, when I have to hug you and hold you tight, does this make me gay. Then I’ll be gay, just don’ ask me to have sex with you. We as human need each other desperately. You have need that need to be addressed. Go for it. You deserve to be loved by more than just your wife.

Antoine

iam 28 and have been married for 10 years, i have three children, 9, 6 and 1. i love my family but i have a strong attraction for men. i havent had sex with my wife in almost two month because it seems like the older i get the stronger my attraction grows for men. just looking to speak with other men who have similar issues

Gabriel

I’m going through same situation. Probably my case is common type:

1. Conservative wife, one of those of taking shower before sex, no blowjobs and no kinky/creative attitude in bed.

2. Christian & Moral parents with aggresive POV against gay behaviour

3. Born and raised in a society where homosexuals are harrased and excluded

So, it hasnt been easy really. I feel attracted to good male bodies and masculine personalities since like 10 years ago. I got married because I’m bisexual, but with storms inside the marriage, I feel more and more inclined to try with a male partner. Starting with a friendship and the whatever happens.

Bimarried

I am going through the same situation as yours. I am bi and married for 3 years to a woman. I respect and care for my wife but i am unable to love her the way i once loved a man (before my marriage). Sometimes i really get frustrated for deceiving her and myself. Adding to my misery she is very dull and reserved in bed also. I come from a country where loving a man is considered promiscuous and sinful – I am not talking about just bear-magazine.com i would add something here, i fell twice in love with a man. That was awesome. But homosexual love is fleeting. A man would never be monogamous in his sexual relationship and that hurts. Both the time i was cheated. I was told, its not possible to live with only one man. I am totally clueless about how to cope up with this dual life of mine. I also can not cheat my wife by kissing and hugging a bear-magazine.com suggestion or help would be appreciated.

John

I am 60 here and married to same woman for forty. I have never been with anyone but her. Male or female! We have not had sex for years. When we did it was mostly me stimulating her with my fingers and her giving me oral. I crave a meeting with male. Have never acted on though I want to. Can not imagine hurting her in any way. So I do watch gay pornography and masturbate.

Erickson

I know this article was written a few years ago. I hope everything is better/resolved. If not, I hope my feedback can help. I truly agree with Miguel’s response. Love is love. But love does not equal sex. For myself, I’ve fantasized a romantic life with ALL of my close friends (male and female) because what I feel for them is genuine love. Am I in love with any of them? I now know the answer is no. But when these feelings came, I thought I might have been in love. I’ve received from them what I need as far as human connection. Personally, I don’t classify myself into any sexuality except “Erickson.” As stated above, “each of us is unique in who or what we find desirable.” The most accurate description of my sexuality is Erickson! You are you! Don’t let labels get to you or even define you. Yes, labels help us communicate to others our inner world, but when it comes down to it, you are a human that requires unique kinds of love from ALL of your relationships in life.

Debra

Thank you for your comment on being honest with your wife. I am a wife of 20 yrs. who’s husband was on gay porn sites, emailing men and yes having sex with men. I found this out myself and needless to say it destroyed me. I will never and I mean never be the same. I lost teeth and most of my hair from the stress. The worse part of this revelation was his lies and denials. My husband stated that after losing his job of 20 yrs. where he was a VP of a Company he felt discarded and useless. What steered him in this behavior (after a year of couple therapy) he had an emotional unavailable father that troubled him since he was a child. Through therapy we discovered his “acting out” came more from an emotional distant from father. He was looking for a connection that he never found, His sex consisted of no faces no names and only one time hook-ups. Our sex was always passionate and loving. When he was going through this (4 years) he didn’t touch me. I thought it was depression from the job loss and I let him grieve. I asked him if he needed therapy or a divorce but he answered no “I love you , you are all I have.” We are still together and I the pain is starting to subside. I realized that this is something he went through and i need to look at it as a physiological issue not a sex issue. I am also trying to get over him not having safe sex. I’m still not sure if we will make it as a couple. I believe if we had such a wonderful honest relationship he would of come to me when he had these “unwanted thoughts” that caused him anxiety and changed who he was. It’s beautiful been 7 years since he had a sexual encounter with a man. He is who he was before this horrendous situation and he spends every day showing me his love and commitment to me. Please men think of your wife and family before acting. Being in the dark made me feel like a door mat. If you can’t speak to your wife find a good therapist that has you and your wife’s best interest. It’s hard enough for a wife to find this out but your lies will destroy her.

Darren haber

Thanks all for your posts. And David I wouldn’t denigrate yourself. Sexuality is much more fluid (no pun intended) than we think. A lot of people have attraction to men and women and to some degree society practices what we might call heterosexism, though that it is very slowly starting to change. It takes courage to own your emotional truth especially when it goes against the grain. I appreciate your candor and wish you the best of luck.

David t. g, va

I have been married for 26 years in my second marriage and in that time, I have had several sexual escapades with other men being mainly the bottom and I love it. I am in love with my best friend who is 14 years younger than me and I have asked him several times and I have asked him to let me do him and he just says no I am not gay but I know he wants me. I love him so much and we are best friends. he just wont go that far. we are from the south and it is different to express your sexual orientation. I am bi, I know that. I do love my wife but but love to feel a mans touch and a man inside me. I do want a divorce but don’t know how to ask her, shes southern as you can get and I don’t know what kind of reaction I would get…any help?

Edward

Hi, I’ve found myself in a similar situation, but on the other side. I’m 21 and my once boyfriend, who’s 28, is now married to a bear-magazine.com we were on our first dates, he told me he had to constantly be on dates with girls in order to keep up appearances but it didn’t matter to me, I was so madly in love with bear-magazine.com kept seeing each other, going out to restaurants on small dates, exchanging text messages constantly, I even had my first time with him!bear-magazine.com a year after we met, he started acting strange, until he finally dropped the bomb on me he was getting married in 2 weeks, he was busy due to the planning of the wedding, I was devastated, I swear I cried everyday for at least 2 bear-magazine.com has been a year since that happened and it’s gotten confusing, he still texts me like once a month to tell he loves me, or that he wants to be with me, but that he can’t. That if he did so, he’d lose everything.I know what you feel, but as someone who’s been through this I can tell you, not speaking out and keeping all to yourself is going to just get worse and worse with bear-magazine.com’s a painful situation for everyone. Don’t do anything like that. If you don’t love your wife anymore, she deserves to know the bear-magazine.com not you’d be living a lie, and you’d be dragging everyone you love into it.I truly believe in love between 2 men as I’ve lived it myself, and it’s something incredible and beautiful, like all love is, but if you don’t have the courage to speak up, you’ll end up in a painful mess like mine.

Just an honest regular black guy from the hood

Some of you guys are really, really overreacting. This guy did not say he’s gay and he specified that this attraction is not necessarily sexual. He also did not say he has had these feelings for any extreme length of time contrary to the assumptions posted in earlier posts. Listen dude, there are many different levels of attraction that can stem from a whole variety of subconscious psychological needs other than homosexuality. Many women are attracted to each other and many men are attracted to each other at different points throughout life. It does not mean you have to be gay and come out and join the party. What it does mean is to do some soul searching as to who you really are and what the root of these attractions is. In fact, its best not to explore the sexual aspect of it yet as sex tends to clouds one’s ability to accurately sift through honest emotions. Figure out what about this one guy or multiple guys you are attracted to. Is it physical or emotional…. or is it something about their personality. Is it something they give that subconsciously you feel you are missing or are you attracted to things that mirror you. …bear-magazine.com is it a certain way that they treat you. This may have nothing to do with them being male, it may have everything to do with you knowing what you like, need and who you want to be. Also, don’t be so quick to do anything crazy to ruin your relationship with your wife. Remember, attractions come and go, but love, sacrifice and time invested is a rarity these days.

Chase

I’ve been married 31 years. High school sweetheart. Two children in their 20s. I started noticing a stronger attraction to men in my mid to late30s I was happily married and had a pretty good sex life. Four years ago I met someone at work nearly 20 years younger. He was openly gay. I told him I was curious and he said he would have sex with me if I wanted to just experience it. We did but eventually it became more. We fell in love. However when it came close to where I was leaving my wife he got nervous and thought it was a bad idea in leaving out lots of details. My wife and kids found out but I chose to stay as my wife was diagnosed with a dangerous medical issue. I’ve tried for the last three plus years toMake the marriage work. She has undergone a major medical procedure and I am there for her everyday. But the marriage as a husband is gone. I feelI would rather be with a man. How long do I wait. My wife may never recover or if she does her life will never be the same. I’m still inMy early 50s and in great shape. Do I sacrifice the rest of my life? I will always support her and make sure she has the best of medical care but I am miserable and have considered just ending it all to escape. I’mTrying not to be do cowardly but the pain is suffocating Any words of advice?

Johan

I have a lot of empathy with you all… I am 47 now and have sexual attractions towards men for the past 30 year’s. It however became more promenant the past 10 – 15 years When I was a young boy and man I always got dressed in my mother’s dresses and panties and bra when I was home alone even put on some make up….. I am with my current wife for the past 18 years and she knows about most of my feelings… So we play it out is a sexual way during sex… Luckily for me she is dominant and love to take charge, we are is a (D/s – dominant and submissive relationship). She requested me to shave my body after I told her I have feminine feelings…so in the bedroom she make me her sissy husband… And I love that… I sometimes dress up in bra and panties but I haven’t to earn it.. I will say I am more attractive to woman than men… So my relationship with my wife is ideal for me.. I love her with all my heart…Sometimes I wish I could be hold tight by a strong guy and fall a sleep in his arms… Am I gay.. I don’t know… What I know is that I live my wife and children beyond my sexual urges… I will not leave her… I will always hope she will let us have a stud in the bedroom with us… The bottom line is…talk to your partner and they might just accept it better than you think… When I first told my wife and our first sexy kinky sessions in the bedroom she said to me we wasted so many good years that we could have fun….

Chris

So, my story – looking for helpful bear-magazine.com wife and I are married – we just celebrated our 5-year anniversary. We have one 20-month old bear-magazine.com November, my wife cheated on me with a work-friend (male). I found her texts…bear-magazine.com was devastating, but I chose to forgive her, and love her, and work through it, and move onwards. Things got better, and we renewed our vows (sort of, in her culture), in February, 2016 – leaving the past behind, and starting fresh, renewed, in love…bear-magazine.com back to March, 2016.I am bi-sexual. I’ve sort of known, but when I got married in 2011, I thought that it was no longer an issue. It wasn’t, and we were fairly happy (so I thought!). A few years ago, when in our marriage, we were just too busy for each other, and stopped having sex, and just worked, came home, chatted, went on as normal (we thought this was fine….I was clueless!!), my thoughts and attractions, started to emerge again. Why? No idea. What didn’t/doesn’t help, is that I’m a musician, and the majority of my friends are Gay. I’m fine with that, but what fueled my desires more, was when a friend said “You really should get a Grindr account (a gay-hook-up app).” I did. I started looking at gay-porn (and straight porn, equally) online. It was a means to a solution.—When things went wrong, after I found out about my wife having cheated. I forgave her…bear-magazine.com on Grindr, a young guy said he liked me and I was more attracted to him than most of the idiots on there…. I decided I wanted to act on it. We met up, and made out…. that’s all we did. For some reason, my bi-sexuality goes as far as being attracted to guys, but not more much. Kissing – that’s fine….—After we had met, this young man left back to his own country (Peru) – and was gone. I look back at it as an experience, but learned from it, that I really am not interested in that – but, find myself attracted to men, and really only turned on by the sexual acts online. I still identify as straight, and if I weren’t with my wife, I would go straight away towards another woman. Women are what I like, and always will – I’m just attracted to men.—What happened?My wife found my Grindr account and fell apart. When I got home, she asked me about it, and I told her bear-magazine.com said “you have essentially cheated on me with 200 guys and 50 girls” (I had multiple female dating sites too, where I was just looking to be turned on). She defined every conversation on Grindr to be me cheating, though I only met one…bear-magazine.com made out with one…. and she’s forgiven me for that…bear-magazine.com I feel so bad!—One week ago, we started fresh, with a blessing for our marriage – a way to leave the past behind, and start renewed – I was on Grindr – and clearly, this wasn’t starting new for me – and now this has happened, , I am now, ready to, and hoping to, start over. I love my wife. This is what I wrote her the other night:“I consider you my soulmate – the one I ‘want’ to be with; the one I choose, and will continue to choose. Whether I’m bi or not, whether I’m attracted to both men and women alike, and acted on it; I choose to be with you, not because I don’t want to explore my other side, and not because I am ignoring a part of me. It will probably always be a ‘part’ of my life.I choose to love you as my life partner. I initially fell in love with your smile and your personality, and now I find myself completely in love with everything else too.I’ve made many mistakes in my life, and for the first time ever, I fell like I’m in a relationship where I can face it with someone that understands me and loves me, for who I am. I know we’ll be ok, because I trust in who we are, but especially in who we’ve become over the last 3 months by learning more about each other.”She responded: “I hope I can get back to the same place where I love you like that…It’s a little shaken right now…”—She’s asked for space – I don’t know how to give that to her. I want her desperately, and she doesn’t want me to touch her, kiss her, hold her, or anything. She wants us to be “just friends”. She says “our marriage, as we knew it, is dead. I don’t know how I can go on with you – I don’t even know you. I need to figure things out but right now, I am completely numb”.—I’ve very hurt – and I don’t know where to start – how to be with her – how not to lose her – but, I know I messed up – and she did too when she cheated, but we worked on that, and now what’s important is us working through this huge bump in our relationship; That’s important.—She says she can forgive me for “cheating on her” on Grindr and the other sites – but, she can’t forgive me for NOT TELLING HER that I was bi-sexual. I never told her cause I never thought it was relevant after we married…..—Long story – thanks – we’ve booked our first couples therapy session for March 31st, 2016. It’s a start – I’m open to ideas and suggestions for us moving forward. I love my son – I love my wife – and I’d like us to stay together….

Chris

Update: we got back together. Tried for 1& a half years. No more sex. Wifey still couldn’t move forward. Hates that I’m bi. “I didn’t marry a bi-sexual.”Well- she did- it’s still me. I decided to give her more time to work through her issues.—It’s been four years of giving her space and time. In January 2019, she moved out again, we bear-magazine.com week, I told her I want a divorce.—Maybe by March 2020 we’ll be divorced and I can do as I please.—Sexually – I am still attracted to men and women. I haven’t had sex with any women, but I have with men (easier to just hook-up)bear-magazine.com is good!

John

I’m in the same situation now. I’m 34 and been married for 10years and have 2 kids. I always knew that I have a feeling for other guys but never acted on it. I’ve been with a guy after 3years of marraige and i loved it. Since then I’ve been with a guys just to satisfy this desire. I have recently met another guy 30 unmarried and we are in love. It is not just about sex but i cant stand being away from him. I have never felt like this before, bear-magazine.com wife and I have been having trouble for the past 3 years and we at a point where we are both seriously considering divorce. On the otherhand me and my boyfriend are making plans to move in together but because we are both very discrete we’ll say we are flatmates. I love this man so much it is scary but I know I want to be with him.

Erickson

I posted last year. I think I found my sexuality. However, it seems ever changing. BUT ANYWAY! at 28 years old, I think my sexuality is heteroromantic bisexual. Heteroromantic because I only desire to be romantic with women. Bisexual because I have sexual urges for both men and women. AND THEN about 9 months later, I grew a crush on a guy because our personalities and intellect match. So I guess I’m partly sapiosexual LOL I hope this’ll help some guys asking if they’re gay for liking men.

Jacob

To all of the married men out there who are struggling with their sexual identity: Talk to your wife. I’d suggest with a counselor, but if you don’t think she will freak out, talk to her alone. Tell her how you feel. She deserves nothing less than the truth from you, and DON’T cheat on her. You won’t be doing her, or you, any favors by being that selfish. That said, you have to be true to you. You need to let her know that. Darren is right, sexuality can be very fluid for some of us. I myself am exclusively gay. I have never been attracted to women, neither on a physical, or emotional level that would engender feelings of romance. Most of you sound like you are probably bi-sexual, and there is NOTHING wrong with that! There can be in the gay and straight community, a stigma about bi-sexuality that I personally find hypocritical and confounding. But it’s very natural. I know discovering new things about yourself can be scary, but there is nothing to be frightened of. If you wife TRULY loves you, you won’t frighten her away by showing her all of who you are. If she is worthy of you, she will be willing to hear you. If you are worthy of her, you will be honest.

Dark

It’s very simple, you are bisexual at very least (depends how honest you are with yourself). This is not a new thing in your life either you were born like that, you just haven’t explored(or you supressed) your feelings for men and you want with what is “socially acceptable” You aren’t first guy either. There are loads of closeted gay guys who get married get kids and all of that stuff and when they get in mid 30s they finally have balls to be themselves and come out as gay at which point they have to choose between being happy or not tearing apart the family and both of these choices suck. Life in the closet is dark and empty, I got enough courage in my early 20s to kick the closet door off it’s hinges, so glad I did it and I’m thankful for not ever having to be in your place.

Steven

I am 47 and have just told my wife of 24 years that it is time for me to move. She of course asked why, and I told her that I was gay. That I have had these feelings since before she and I even dated. I tried to put them aside and pretend they were not there for so many. And finally came to a point where I had to do something. I told her that I would rather leave her and be friends than to stay and hate her and resent her. After a couple of days of shock for her and sort of relief for me, we met up to talk. And I have to honestly say it was one of the best conversations I have ever had with her in all the time that I have known her. For the first time in so many years I was actually telling the truth and not trying to live behind a lie and be something that I was not. It really was an excellent conversation. We have 3 children together, one is grown, (in age) and then one is a senior in high school and the other is only in elementary school. We (I) have only shared with my oldest the part of me being gay and she is completely okay with it. Was shocked at first but then revealed some things to me about herself that explained her reaction and acceptance. The high schooler only knows of the divorce and says “it happens” the youngest just said “daddy rent a place with a pool” typical response from that age. So now as I sit here typing this I am in my own apartment now for 3 weeks and it has hit me that I am alone. I have been struggling with many emotions and it seems as they are getting harder and harder to deal with. I never cheated on my wife, to this day I still have not been with anyone other than her for our entire time together. And I will remain that way until the divorce is final. However, I have been on several apps and I have been on several web sites and I know that this feeling is real and I will act upon it sooner or later. I think my whole point to this, is to say, be honest with each other. If you are in this situation you are not doing anyone any favors by keeping this bottled up inside. My wife is a very strong southern baptist woman. Raised in the church and has always been a big part of her life. So for her this was of course a shock, but at the same time she rationalized it as a “proper” way for God to forgive her for the divorce. But looking back at our years together I realize now that most of the problem in the marriage was me and that because I was not honest with my self and who I was, I was not honest in the relationship and that caused many issues and problems that could have been avoided. If the world 30 years ago was like it is today I would have never ever gotten married. I know I jumped around a lot with this and I apologize for that, but right now that is sort of how my life is. Scattered everywhere and trying to pick up the pieces and put them together. Thanks for reading if you made it this far and I would love to hear any comments or thoughts that may help and reassurance that it’s all going to be okay.

Buffy

I’m a woman, but I came to this web site to understand how the male mind works in the way that men are attracted to other men as someone I know is probably gay. Let me just say that I think gay sex is disgusting, but I’m trying to understand it if that’s even possible. I think on average men desire sex more than women and I also think they have more fantasies about it. So, I wonder if men are attracted to other men because it requires less social commitment — you are only there for raw sex and not much else. Also I think that gay sex carries less *responsibility*, as in no risk of pregnancy or setting up housekeeping with long-term relationships…fast, easy, less complicated. However, the downside would be that you build nothing permanent in your lifetime – usually no children or ongoing home life. I’m trying not to be too anal (no pun intended), but I think heterosexual relationships are more complicated and some men opt out for that reason. So, what do you get from your gay partner? Love, acceptance, sexual satisfaction?

Jacob

Buffy…first of all, I commend you for at least (so you say) attempting to understand why some men are attracted to other men. So, as a gay man, allow me to educate you…Your thinking that gay sex is disgusting is neither here nor there for us. We have absolutely no desire to hop into bed with you, or any other woman, so it’s not something you will ever get to experience. Therefore your opinion on that matter is moot. That said, yes, there are those of us who are looking for raw, no strings attached sex. Just like there are heterosexuals (both men and women) who are looking for raw, no strings attached sex…As far as no social commitment due to there being no chance of pregnancy, I would ask if you feel the same way about a heterosexual couple having sex while using birth control? Aren’t you negating the ‘social commitment’ by doing so?As far as setting up ‘housekeeping’ as you put it, there are many same sex couples who have homes, and families, and they are filled with love, and laughter, and the same trials and hardships as heterosexual households. Some have children, and some do not. Just like bear-magazine.com far as relationships being complicated, that is true for everyone regardless of sexual orientation. People are different, and that is a GOOD THING. When two different people come together, and make a commitment, and decide to walk through this life hand in hand, there are going to be complications. There are going to be arguments, and squabbles, and sometimes outright screaming matches. It’s just life. But there is also loving, and tenderness, and hopefully some good sex in there too. You wanted to know what we get out of it? The same exact thing you do from your relationships. We aren’t all looking for casual sex. A lot of us want something real, and lasting, and lifelong. Just like you do. It’s not fast, it’s not easy, and it’s not simple. Our attraction to the same gender came about in the same way yours did for the opposite one. It just happened.

John

WOW!!! This was very interesting reading. I too, am going through these desires of being with guys.

First, I’m 68 years old; I have been married to my wife for 38 years. She is definitely on the very conservative. The past 8 years has been a rough time in that we have NOT had sex, and I’ve not had sex with another woman. I have ALWAYS been attracted to men since my pre-teens. Throughout my high school years, I loved watching guys. Anyway, after getting out of the armed services, I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart but I still had these strong desires to be with a guy. I am an introvert (and may I add, I HATE IT) because I’d love to express myself but to shy. I have always dreamed of being outgoing and knowing what I want and living that kind of life.

In the last few years, continuing to have the strong feelings for guys has become very strong. I’ve had sex with a guy once in my life and loved it even though I felt it was disastrous. I’ve texted with a guy that I felt was really a match, both of us having strong feelings for each other. However, I would chicken out on meeting up with him.

My son and his family are living with my wife and me, now for 6 years. Found out I was watching gay porn online (which was my way of temporarily satisfying my manly desire). That was an embarrassing experience. Then he went to my eldest son-n-law and told him.

This probably doesn’t make since, but I am so depressed because I can’t live a happy life because of this sexual identity I am laboring. Now I’m 68 years old and too old to really experience a manly relationship to satisfy me.

Jacob k

I’m 22 I had a guy friend who sexually alsuted me I’m actually seeing a therapist right now because I was fighting really bad depression anxiety eating disorder and other stuff my mom takes me all the time were very close we try about this but I’m confused with who I feel sexually attached to I experience with the ex friend who sexually abused me I never had sex with another guy before but my family help though it just saying me and my ex friend were just experiencing but at that time both my grandma and grandpa past away I was going through really bad depression still to this day I don’t know what I am but I’m still saying my therapist soon hopefully he can answer for me

Joe

That is a question for him to answer. My bisexuality is strictly sexual. When I told my wife about my feelings, urges and curiosities. she never said she accepted them and I never asked her to. We just resorted to role play in the bedroom to satisfy my urges. But as I said earlier with me it’s strictly about sex with another man. My advise to you ask him the question, accept what? He may or may not know the answer. And you have some soul searching of your own as to what are you willing to accept.

Mark b.

MichelleI am a 39-year-old married man that identifies as straight. I am beyond happily married to my loving wife. I have 3-year-old son and couldn’t be happier as a father. I am sexually attracted to my wife and I admire how beautiful she is inside and out, but I struggle with attraction to certain types of men. My wife knows this about me, because before we were married we vowed to each other that we would always tell the truth, no matter how much it hurts. Always be honest. Thankfully my wife loves me enough to accept this attraction. I am not attracted to men all the time. It is almost like a cycle with me. I have no desire to be with a man sexually since I have been married. I have experimented with other straight guys when I was younger and it was ok, but not something that I have to have to be happy or sexually satisfied. Those guys are also now married and living happy lives. I actually think it is something normal that guys experience in there life. I don’t label it as gay or bisexual but something of an alpha-male kind of thing. Dominance, who is the “bad-ass” kind of persona. Being raised on a farm in Ohio, I have learned that sometimes a male dog will mount another male dog to show him who is boss and the same way with horses and bulls (male cow). Poor comparison I know, but that kind of helped me understand myself. My wife and I have sex everyday and it is super awesome, but there are occasions when a very masculine, straight, attractive guy turns my head. This doesn’t make me gay or bisexual, it is just human nature to look.

Shan

dear darren hi, you are so handsome!! ,im a physician married for 20 years with a son, in recent years sometimes i wach gay photos and have some fantasies bear-magazine.com wife is very tough and after finding the matter wants divorce ,we are fighting everyday ,should i feel abnormal or blame myself ? can u give me some advice plz ? thanks a lot,dr. shan

Ryan

I am in the same boat. I have been married for ten years and have five kids, yes five. I told my wife I was bisexual, but may be more so gay. I have watched a lot of gay porn, half of our marriage. She was more hurt about the porn. I told her about my fantasies, my wants and desires about men, and yet she still wants to stay with me and have sex. I even told her about the guys I have crushes on in my town. We’re going to therapy, but I dont think it will work. Everyone tells me I am not gay, because I am 35 with kids. I have been told I lack an identity, I am confused, I am going through a phase. I have been told the porn and alcohol have warped my mind. My wife says if I just have sex with her it will change my mind. I live in a small town where my parents are quite wealthy, I know they won’t accept me, and I don’t really care, I’m 35. I just want to move out and have a lot of gay sex and meet a man to make me happier, all the while being a responsible adult for my children. The therapist says I need to love myself before I can learn to love others. It doesn’t matter how old you are, it’s confusing. It doesn’t matter how gay you tell someone you are, they don’t believe you. I dont get it, I feel like I have missed out on so much the past ten years.

Just an honest regular black guy from the hood

Seems like to me straight people are always being paranoid about anything remotely related to homosexuality and gay people are always wanting EVERYBODY to be gay. Listen guys, sexuality is not black and white. There are infinite shades of grey. Same sex attraction and love is commonplace, but we can’t just rush to group everyone who encounters anything related to it into our 3 strict categories, gay, bi or straight. The breath and variance in sexual preference is far to vast to do so. That would be like categorizing all of the ethnicities of the world as either Black or White. Allow people to be and experience life on their own accord. They will know whether their attraction is a phase, a single incident, an exception, an attraction to one person or if it’s a lifestyle. The key is to encourage self exploration without leading them based on our own experience or perception.

John

Thanks so much for this site. It is great to know i am not the only one feeling this way. I am 36 years old, married for 14 years with two children. I love my wife and Love my Family. I kinda always had a secret thing for guys growing up but never acted on it. Just a few months ago i was on a business trip out of state and acted on it with a guy. It was very nice and i really enjoyed it. I feel so guilty. Now that i am back home, i have acted on it again with a few different guys, no feeling at all for these guys. But now i have met one guy who lives close to us and we speak daily. I have some feelings towards him and i am not even sure where this is coming from. He is gay. He knows i am married. I am so confused and torn as to what to do. I am also a very active church member which makes this very hard for me. I feel like a complete hypocrite and just a total failure. Really turning my back on my spouse, kids and my church and my God. I want to tell my wife, but not even sure how or where to start. I have just told everything to one of my co-workers who i speak to very often and i am very close to. We both confide and talk to each other often. She is very understanding. So part of me says leave my wife and have fun, enjoy life and do what i want to do. (I Know very selfish!) Another part of me says no i cannot do that, i need to be there for my family and i cannot just loose everything. Like how would my family even accept me, i would loose all my church family and friends, and really be all alone. This has really been putting me in a very dark place the past two weeks. I have literally broken down twice so far while at work and have been so depressed not knowing what direction i am going in. I also sit here and think, what am i doing? Am i going thru midlife Crisis? What is wrong with me? I could use any encouraging words and seek advice on how to deal with this. Thank You

James

Hi I want to share my story as well, I’m 47 married I have two adult kids and one teen at home. As a teen growing up I liked both girls and guys, but later past high school I noticed I like guys more. Fast forward to 1997 got married and had our 2nd kid, later I hooked up with another guy had sex, but really enjoy it much, fast forward to 2017, met a young man and we both were attracted to each other we always hooked up, sometimes I slept over his place, recently I told my wife I had an affair with a man and told her I’m attracted to men, she kicked me out, and she asked me to come back so we could talk, I showed her who he was, and said so you left me for someone that handsome! Anyway we talked about my sexuality she’s slowly dealing with it, she asked if I loved him I told her the truth that I do, and she was blankless anyway we try to talk about this everyday, it gets easier but, still hurts for her, anyway my friends I think it’s best to be open, sure it will hurt, but it gets better everyday but slowly, truth is I really want to be with him. Can anyone help in this area?

Bob

Thank you for all the honest accepting voices in this forum. I am 33, married with two kids and my wife is pregnant. I came out to her as bisexual three years ago, but feel I may be more gay now and don’t think I can continue living in a straight monogamous marriage. I’m not sure how to even begin to understand my needs, emotionally and sexually.I am completely open with her about my struggle, but not sure what to do. How do I find myself and my needs? How do we raise a child separated, if that’s what happens? The pregnancy was unplanned.I also feel terrible because she is a stay at home mom, and now feels she needs to go back to school and get a job to be less dependent on bear-magazine.com love to hear everyone’s thoughts!

Paula

I’m a woman and have to say…bear-magazine.com’s alarming to see just how many men enter heterosexual relationships knowing of their attraction to men. All I can say, is that people (in this case, those men who are deciding to come out) have the responsibility to be honest with others. Some of you have knowingly deceived people who put their trust and faith in you, robbing them of the right to a living a life based on truth and integrity. If there was any doubt, quite frankly, you had no business walking the path you did and ruining someone else’s life. People can be so damned selfish!!

John m

I have been wrestling with these desires too for the past 4 years. I got married 5 years ago and after a year into our marriage I found myself wondering what it would be like to be with a man. And, now 5 years later I am still married haven’t had sex in a year and really want to explore being with another man. I don’t want to divorce my wife and explore this other side of me and find out it isn’t for me. But, worse yet my marriage is failing and I need to do something. My wife just told me yesterday her youngest brother just came out as gay. He has been in a gay relationship for 5 years and hiding it from his family. Confused… I have to confess that I have been dating men online only, I have found one that I a connection with. We like to do a lot of the same things. But, he wants more than F.W.B, he wants to find that one to marry. He has stated that if we go all the way that he will expect me to leave my wife and it will just be him and I. I feel a strong connection to him but that seems to be more commitment to another man than I want, I just want to explore not hurt some guy in the process if it is not what I want after the fact. So, I understand a little of what you are going through and it is a tough spot to be in… I wish you well in figuring it out…

Michael

i shared with her. She seemed supportive. I was forced at 17. I stuff it but i was in conflict. I have been with close friends, but never lived as a life style, i have not gotten therapy. I AM DIVORCED. we are best friends. I am afraid to go all in, because I can’t seem to get past that I don’t want to be Gay , but I love the sex better. I can’t get sexually arroused by women. I love the look of women, but not the genitalia. I have been so depressed about it. I have tried to end me. PLEASE get therapy. I need to because i know I must accept me. That is the first thing for you to do. You love her, and she is your safe place. Don’t tell her until you sort this out. You are bored in the bedroom and need to be a walk on the wild side, Taboo! She , you think is to good girl to do anything wild. She may have fantasies too. When you are more uninhibited than your wife or husband, you cnn’t force them too accept what you need. If she is a bit wild she may role play and be nasty in the confines of your marriage. She probably doesn’t watch porn? You may watch too much. Plus her sex drive may have diminished. Age, and hormones. She may love you and be the best help you can get. I was embarrassed and wished I didn’t get scared and push my wife of 33 years bear-magazine.com luck

Kyle

Hi,I have been amazed by some of the stories on here and have found the spectrum of situations fascinating. It is good to know that I am not alone and I am enlightened by many of the experiences described. I have been in a relationship (Not married) for 3 years with an incredible women who I love and see myself spending the rest of my life with. I am bi-sexual and even before we got ‘serious’ I was open to her about my bi-sexuality. At the time, I had been with other men, and was open about this with bear-magazine.com the few years of our relationship there were a couple of occasions where I had met up with an old male fling for a one night stand and I justified this as I couldn’t get married without knowing for sure how I felt about my sexuality. At this stage, I dont know if I could get more serious in a typical monogamous relationship. I cant see myself being with a man romantically for a long term like I can see myself being happy with my current partner but at the same time I cannot see myself being happy being married but limited by the confines of a typical exclusive marriage. I will never ask my partner to marry with without having a conversation about this and plan to bring it up over the summer when the time is right so that my thoughts are shared and she can make the determination. As hard as it is, I think the key is communication upfront about your bi-sexuality at the very least. If they can accept bi-sexuality than I think it is appropriate to ask questions about the boundaries of the relationship. If you can continue your life partnership with flexible boundaries that is probably the most ideal situation. As long as you still love each other and make one another happy (relationships dont need to look the way society tells you they should!) I think that the perception of relationship is changing wherein society is becoming more comfortable altering the definition of a normal ‘relationship’. Relationships don’t necessary have to be what our society tells us they have to look like. That is one benefit that I, as a young man, get living in the age and with the privileges that have been so hard fought bear-magazine.com those of you in long term marriages that have been experiencing attractions and curiosities about men, don’t let the world crush you. It probably would have been ideal if you could have been honest about your bi-sexuality before getting married, but I guess that isn’t the way it works all the time. I don’t think experimenting has to be the end of the world but I can say that it probably won’t feel great after ( the whole lying thing) and, if you like it, I can say that it probably wont be the only time leading to a pattern. But, you cant go your whole life without knowing, so go for it. Sometimes you just gotta do what’s good for YOU. After the experience, you’ll know what to do next. If you think its going to be a variable thing, time to tell your partner your bi to see if you can make it work.

Anonymous

Just because you are attracted to someone doesn’t mean you have to act on it. I have been married for 20+ years to a wonderful woman. I am sexually and emotionally attracted to her most of the time, but there are stretches where I am not. There are stretches when she isn’t attracted to me and she reads erotic fiction and uses a vibrator. There are stretches where I am attracted to someone else. These feelings for this other person (and oersons!) is so strong that I feel I can’t be satisfied until I follow through with sex with them. But you know what? I don’t. I choose to masturbate, or fantasize about them while having sex with my wife, or I watch porn with the type of person I am attracted to at the moment in them. My wife doesn’t follow through with another person either. It is not wrong and it is not uncommon. It’s silly to believe that every married person, when married, will only ever fantasize about their spouse and only ever have a desire to have sex with their spouse, and will only every really want sex the way they have it with their spouse. The truth is that people fantasize about other people all the time. ALL THE TIME. Some days I go to work and have to take a break in the private bathroom to get myself off when my crush comes in. And then…I go home and have a beautiful life with my wife. We have sex and it is pretty great.I *think* that movies, TV, media, magazines all provide this idea that if you are feeling these feelings then you “aren’t living an authentic life” – That’s B.S. I think the numerous stories of realizing mid life that you are gay – or attracted to people of the same gender, or even different people that your spouse – that celebrate the courage that people display by being honest with their spouse and then going on to live their full and authentic life as a newly out gay person. And I think these stories tell us over and over that if you are having these feelings that you MUST be gay and you MUST leave your spouse to go and become the real you. Look – Love is more than just sex. Yes, sex is a part of it, but intimacy comes in many, many different forms. My wife will not perform oral sex on me – this is a huge fantasy and dominates my thoughts when I see my crush (or a multitude of other hot people, both men and women). Does this mean I should leave her to go and get a BJ because I’m being denied oral sex? No, I watch blowjob porn or she has this good technique with her hands that *feels like* oral sex and I imagine it is my crush down there. Uggh – look I feel for you I really do and I feel for people who are so broken inside because they truly are homosexual – but simply being attracted to someone else (doesn’t matter if they are same sex or opposite sex) doesn’t mean your marriage has to end – it doesn’t mean you have to change anything but being comfortable that attraction. The question you have to ask yourself is – is it going to be worth it to burn everything down just so you can fantasize about other guys? If you feel that you’ll be a broken man if you don’t go and have sex with someone else (man or woman) – then I think you know your answer. If you can be satisfied with fantasizing about the guy(s) and you can get off with your wife – I bear-magazine.com are normalIntense fantasizes are normalwatching porn is normalthinking about someone else when with your wife is normal-Don’t let people tell you otherwise.

Guest_man

This thread speaks to me. Im 35, married to an amazing girl, baby on the way, good job, house etc. But I have gay desires for men. Not emotional, just purely physical. I also have really bad anxiety which doesnt help. Im terrified im gunna cheat one day or be stuck with these urges being unfulfilled and having it drive me crazy. I pop pills and drink to numb it.

Bob

I posted on this thread a few years ago so I will update my situation.I came out to my wife 5 years ago as bisexual. When I did things calmed down in my head. I felt honest with myself but had no intent of taking action. Then a few years later I met a guy who I fantasized being with physically and emotionally. I came out to my wife as gay, a few days later she told me she was pregnant with our third. We separated (while remaining in the same house) and co-parented our kids. I messed around with one guy once during that time and it was mildly bear-magazine.com took things slow and our third was born. We moved to a house with a second master and told our friends and families that I was gay and our plan to co-parent. I started to date guys and was very disappointed with gay dating, though I met a guy who was really great. We spent some time together, and after about a month I found that I missed my wife. I panicked and thought that I had thrown my life away. She was dating other men and I was nervous that she was gone already. That was over a year ago. I explained it all to her and we rekindled and are now in a great (way better than we had previously) relationship. I feel that I answered the doubts and questions in my mind. I consider myself bisexual and I am now extremely happy with that designation and the monogamous straight relationship I am bear-magazine.com to all in the same boat, take it slow. You are confused and should not jump to any conclusions based on that confusion. Respect your wife, she deserves your patience. When you first admit your gay desires, your fantasy world will go into overdrive. Hormones will surge and that is when many people cheat or break their relationship forever.

Antonia

The most basic answer is: you should handle those urges the same way you would handle urges for another woman. I consider myself straight as well and find myself occasionally sexually attracted to other bear-magazine.com went so far as to sleep with another woman. It felt so unnatural. Besides this, there were many ways such as: emotional, intellectual and physical ways in which a woman simply could not replace a man. Nature is balanced. Today, I STILL find other women extremely attractive. The fact is women are beautiful. And men are sexy. Lusting for what is beautiful or sexy IMHO is as natural as the urge to swipe the hotel towels. It definitely doesn’t mean it’s time to end a perfectly good marriage/relationship. Just as the person who steals hotel towels isn’t a bonafide thief, being attracted to the opposite doesn’t make one officially “gay”. It a person’s choice to follow through and on any urge they choose to or not. You define who you bear-magazine.com people understood that for a healthy life-long marriage, it is a must to resist the urge to cheat with the opposite sex, it’s also a must to resist the urge to cheat or fully commit to a life of sex with the same sex In this day and age, we’re hear and read on tv and in articles that any tinge of even considering the opposite sex attractive means you’re gay and should just come out and commit to it. It’s enough to confuse even the strongest person. You define you. it’s a decision you have to make based on what you feel is best. Most people wouldn’t leave a marriage just because they find the girl/guy next door irresistibly hot and can’t stop looking at them. Therefore, no, simply finding the same sex attractive and wanting to try it out does not mean it’s time to end a marriage. As they say, it’s easy to find someone to sleep with, but it’s real hard to find a relationship. This goes for straight and gay relationships. No one should throw away a marriage for any kind of sex. Sex is lust and temporary. Marriage is real and meant to provide a lifetime of fulfillment on all levels. Don’t throw that away for hotel towels.

Robert

As a bisexual (Bottom) I am not understanding a few aspects of this article. “Any whiff of “sensitivity” can bring out the gay jokes” as to say that we all must live up to the feminine stereotype. Kind of makes you sound a bit bigoted towards bisexual and masculine gay men (Bears). In the sack I am about as bottom as it gets and Im open about it and you would never meet a more dirty fingernails, fist fighting, blunt smoking, tatted up man on this earth.

I would honestly like to know where you get your numbers from claiming that in the lgbt community we/us (bisexuals) somehow make up a minority of less than 5% when in fact study after study shows that we are the spit on majority. Spreading false information is one thing but being a Therapist and doing so is outright sickening.

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