Bisexual men and body image

Abstract

Although the body images of straight and gay men have received extensive research attention, there has been little consideration of bisexual men's perceptions of body image. In this qualitative investigation of openly bisexual men from both the United Kingdom and Australia, men discuss their perceptions of body image, masculinity and sexuality. The findings show that the ideal body described resembles the mesomorphic body image suggested to be ideal by research into both gay and straight men's perspectives on body image. However, the participants differentiated between what they termed a 'masculine' body and a 'gay' body, with the latter being viewed as undesirable. Thus, concerning perceptions of the male body, the bisexual men in this study participate in the cultural conflation of masculinity and heterosexuality, illustrating a degree of internalised homonegativity. © 2012 Taylor & Francis.