“Porn is blunt […] I had way more LGBTQ+ friendly education through porn”: The experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals with online pornography

Abstract

While public and academic discussions on pornography’s effects are often plagued by moralistic claims, research on the self-perceived preferences and effects of pornography has been growing in recent years. Yet, we still do not know enough about the role pornography plays in the lives of regular viewers, particularly LGBTQ+ individuals. In this study, we examine the perceptions and views of 87 regular pornography viewers who identified as non-heterosexual, non-cis-gendered, or both (these 87 were part of a larger sample of 302 regular pornography viewers). Our study joins a growing body of work that explores the views, experiences, and preferences of individuals who consume pornography. We found that pornography played a crucial role for LGBTQ+ individuals, helping them to form their gender and sexual identities, serving as a practical guide for the technical aspects of engaging in non-heterosexual sex, and normalizing non-heterosexual orientations, acts, and identities.