Resolving gay marriage debates: get straight guys to watch more porn?

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      Could the answer to ending same-sex marriage debates around the world lie in getting more straight men to watch porn?

      It appears to be that way. According to a study published in the journal Communication Research by two American professors, gay people may actually benefit from all the time that straight men spend watching Stoya and Sasha Grey.

      The study, Pornography Consumption, Education, and Support for Same-Sex Marriage Among Adult U.S. Malesfound that the more porn that heterosexual guys watch, the more they're likely to become supportive of gay marriage. Interestingly, this is particularly true of heterosexual guys who are less educated.

      Indiana University Assistant Professor Paul Wright told the Washington Examiner that porn consumption can help to make viewers more open-minded, countering conservative or traditional thinking.

      "Pornography adopts an individualistic, nonjudgmental stance on all kinds of nontraditional sexual behaviors and same-sex marriage attitudes are strongly linked to attitudes about same-sex sex," he said. "If people think individuals should be able to decide for themselves whether to have same-sex sex, they will also think that individuals should be able to decide for themselves whether to get married to a partner of the same-sex."

      The researchers, Indiana University Assistant Professor Paul Wright and University of Arizona’s Ashley Randall, surmise that the popularity of lesbian porn among straight men may also help to change attitudes towards male-male marriage as well.

      It'd be interesting if it were possible to compare this study to studies done prior to the internet because it's quite possible that internet porn has radically changed things.

      It's much easier to access content online than what was previously available pre-internet. Needless to say, it's so much easier for viewers to explore diverse content in the privacy of one's own home.

      Also, links, pop-ups, and different presentation styles often expose viewers to content they're not necessarily searching for and may provoke curiosity.

      So if you're a straight guy, the next time you watch porn, you can consider it as one for the cause. 

      But sorry, gay men: don't interpret the results of that study as necessarily meaning that straight guys enjoy watching gay male porn.

      Here's a video by web personality Davey Wavey, who shot four straight guys watching two videos of hardcore gay porn—and their amusing reactions.

       
      And if you're curious about the sexual behaviour and experiences of Georgia Straight readers, check out the Straight's (and that's not a reference to sexual orientation) 2013 sex survey.

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