Hearts, groins and the intricacies of gay male open relationships: Sexual desire and liberation revisited

Abstract

An extensive look at the narratives of 14 gay men in open relationships living in Amsterdam presents a world of gay male sexual desire that continues to leave the heterosexual counterpart dumbfounded. This article focuses on the five main points deducted from the informants' erotic retellings: the variety and unpredictability of arrangements between each couple; the preference for a more intimate connection with outside encounters instead of an impersonal or anonymous encounter; the decline of sex as a non-factor for choosing to open up sexual barriers as informants confess to non-monogamy in the beginnings of their relationships; the common perception that there exists a natural male drive to sexually explore with multiple partners; and finally, the complexities that come with open arrangements, forcing a re-examination of the open gay couple as the embodiment of ‘liberation’.