Archives of Sexual Behavior, VoL 1, No. 4, ]971
Participants in Urban Mexican Male Homosexual Encounters 1 J. M. Carrier~
PH.D. 2
Preliminary data are presented on 53 urban Mexican males interviewed during 1970-1971 in a study of homosexual encounters in a large Mexican city. These data are compared with data from recent studies in the United States and England of male homosexual behavior. Although preliminary and limited, the Mexican data indicate that cultural factors are important determinants of life styles and sex practices of homosexual males. Forty-eight of the 53 (90%) preferred and usually practiced anal intercourse, four preferred oral contacts, and one preferred mutual masturbation. Interviewees were also grouped according to major type of sex activity during the first sustained year of homosexual activity after puberty. One intragroup comparison indicates significant differences between anal active and anal passive interviewees. For example, as children anal passive subjects had significantly more homosexual contacts with adults; they also considered themselves more effeminate and as children were more involved with female sex-typed activities. Comparison of data from the English and United States studies with the present data suggests that preference for a particular sexual technique is not as developed in the former two countries; when there is a preference, it is not usually for anal intercourse. INTRODUCTION This paper presents some preliminary data on 53 urban Mexican males interviewed during the latter part of 1970 and early 1971 as part of a study of homosexual encounters in a large Mexican city; it then compares the data presented with data from comparatively recent United States and English studies of male homosexual behavior. The objective o f the paper is to suggest that the Mexican data, though preliminary and limited in scope, support the notion that cultural factors play an important part in the determination o f the kind of life styles and sex practices of males who participate in homosexual encounters. In a forthcoming paper, some of the factors which appear to underlie Mexican homosexual behavior--such as machismo and the dual categorization of females--will be considered in terms of their effects on patterns o f behavior. The plan of the paper is as follows. First, a description is given as to how the 1 This research was supported by an NIMH Predoctoral Fellowship, 5F01 MH 45897-02. 2 School of Social Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California. 279 ~ ) 1972 Plenum Publishing Corporation, 227 West 17th Street, New York, N.Y. I00I 1.
280
Carrier
interviewees were selected. Second, a s h o r t d e s c r i p t i o n is given o f the interview situat i o n a n d questionnaire. Third, a d e s c r i p t i o n o f the i n t e r v i e w e e s - - g r o u p e d b y sex p r a c t i c e s - - i s given, with s o m e o f the d a t a s u m m a r i z e d in the f o r m o f figures a n d tables. F o u r t h , a n d last, a b r i e f c o m p a r i s o n is m a d e between M e x i c a n , U n i t e d States, a n d English h o m o s e x u a l b e h a v i o r .
SELECTION
OF INTERVIEWEES
The study p o p u l a t i o n (in a statistical sense) was defined to include all males w h o p a r t i c i p a t e in h o m o s e x u a l e n c o u n t e r s in the city o f G u a d a l a j a r a ; however, expectations were at the o u t s e t o f the s t u d y t h a t a r a n d o m s a m p l e o f this p o p u l a t i o n w o u l d n o t be feasible. I t was thus d e c i d e d t h a t a limited stratified q u o t a s a m p l e was a r e a s o n a b l e goal. A t the s t a r t o f the interview p e r i o d , i n f o r m a t i o n g a t h e r e d d u r i n g the p r e c e d i n g 9 m o n t h s o f field w o r k in G u a d a l a j a r a - - w h i c h has a p o p u l a t i o n o f a little over 1 m i l l i o n a c c o r d i n g to the 1970 c e n s u s - - c o n f i r m e d t h a t r a n d o m s a m p l i n g w o u l d n o t be feasible. Based on the field w o r k , the decision was m a d e to stratify the s a m p l e on three different classes o f a c t o r s differentiated b y their sexual p r a c t i c e s : active, passive, a n d active a n d p a s s i v e ) S o c i o e c o n o m i c level, a n i m p o r t a n t variable, was also a criterion for selection. I f s o c i o e c o n o m i c level were to be ignored, one c o u l d c o n c e i v a b l y end u p with a d i s t o r t e d g r o u p i n g such as o n l y u p p e r class passive males a n d lower class 3 The terms insertor and insertee are considered more useful than active and passive when applied to sex roles (Hooker, 1965). An insertor intromits his penis into an orifice, whereas an insertee accepts it in his orifice. They are not used in this paper for two reasons. First, most homosexual contacts in Mexico are anal; thus there should be no confusion as to the active partner being the insertor. Second, and most important, the terms activo and pasivo are used by the respondents themselves in conversation, and popular Mexican terms descriptive of males having sex with other males make the same distinction, e.g., mayate for activo and puto for pasivo. Two examples of their use in conversation are the following. While driving across Guadalajara, the author overheard several interviewees in his car debating whether a popular Mexican male singer was activo or pasivo in his homosexual relations. The author on another occasion overheard an interviewee ask a male he knew only slightly whether he was activo or pasivo. The response was "iDependet." ("It depends t"). Table L Percentage Distribution of Population by Family Size and Income Number in family Living alone 2-3 4-5 6-7 8-9 10+
Sample Guadalajara" 7.6 5.7 9.4 22.8 24.5 30.0
1.0 11.2 22.7 22.9 25.8 16.4
100%
100%
Family income Sample Urban (pesos]month) Mexico b 0-600 601-1500 1501-4500 4501 +
13 30 38 19
30 36 27 7
I009/oo 100%
° Percent distribution based on 1960 census of Guadalajara. b Estimate of distribution in urban Mexico for 1970 (Leyva, 1970).
Participants in Urban Mexican Male Homosexual Encounters
281
active males. Table I compares the distribution of the respondents' family income with the estimated distribution of family income in urban Mexico for 1970. The comparison suggests that the sample is skewed in the direction of upper income groups. Table I also compares the distribution of the respondents' family size with the reported distribution of family size in Guadalajara for 1960. Although this variable was not controlled, it is of interest to note that the sample distribution roughly approximates that of Guadalajara but is skewed in the direction of larger sized families. Most of the interviewees were known through social intermediaries and contacts developed during the 9 months of field work that preceded the interview time period. Ten friendship circles and ten additional individuals were socialized with, with varying amounts of time spent with any one group or individual. 4 These persons formed the central pool from which the respondents were selected for interview. As the interviews progressed, respondents outside this pool were also selected. At the end of the interview period, the final list of prospective respondents numbered 70. Of this total, 53 completed interviews, seven agreed to be interviewed but did not keep appointments (after three no-shows the respondent was dropped), and ten declined to be interviewed. Of those completing interviews, 35 belonged to one of the ten friendship circles studied, five were individually known prior to interview, and 13 were either slightly known or not known prior to interview. THE INTERVIEW
The respondents were interviewed in Spanish in the author's apartment. Easy and private access was assured the respondents since the apartment house is located near the center of Guadalajara and has commercial establishments on the ground floor. The respondents required 3-5 hr on the average to complete the structured interview. All but six of them completed the questionnaire in one session. Once started, none refused to complete his interview. Four of them, however, showed signs of extreme nervousness and resisted answering questions related to their own homosexual practices. Their interviews are considered incomplete but usable in that sufficient information was obtained from the questions answered and from some of their sexual partners known by the author. It is of interest to note that in differing amounts and quality additional information on all the interviewees was obtained from their friends and/or sex partners during the 1½ years of field work. The questionnaire was developed and tested during the 9 months of field work in Guadalajara. It is divided into seven parts: vital statistics, relations with family and friends, physical characteristics, history of early sexual experiences, history of homosexual experiences, history of heterosexual experiences, and beliefs about societal attitudes toward homosexuality. Each part contains a mix of "forced-choice" and "open-ended" questions. Part 2, in addition, had the respondents rate, on a semantic 4 The author was a participant-observer in the sense the term is used by Zelditch (1962): "The field worker directly observes and also participates in the sense that he has durable social relations in the social system under investigation." Socialization included going to bars, cantinas, restaurants, and parties with informants. It also included getting to know the parents and siblings of several informants and attending dinners, parties, and other social functions with their families.
282
Carrier
differential of 13 attributes, their mother, father, and self according to their experiences remembered up to the age of 17. THE THREE INTERVIEW G R O U P S
In selecting interviewees, an attempt was made to develop equal samples of three sexual preference groups--active, passive, and active and passive. Judging from information obtained in Guadalajara and from other parts of both urban and rural Mexico, the sexual connection in most Mexican homosexual encounters is anal, with one participant active and the other passive. For a given dyad, a low probability exists that both active and passive anal intercourse are practiced by both participants. That is, generally speaking two passive males--or two active males--will not have sexual relations with each other. When the prospective partner of a passive male turns out to be passive--or a prospective partner of an active male turns out to be active--the usual consequence is that no sexual act takes place. Two groups thus appear to result from this dichotomization of individual sex preferences. The third group includes those males who are both anal active and anal passive, and so provide an intersection of the other two groups (see Fig. 1). It is important to note, however, that they are generally not active and passive with the same partner. Most of the males belonging to this third group appear to rank most prospective partners as to whether they are more masculine or more feminine than themselves. If thought more masculine, the prospective partner is generally rated active sexually; if more feminine, passive sexually. What happens if their judgment turns out to be incorrect? For example, what happens if th e male judged more effeminate turns out to be only active sexually 9. In this event, the data suggest that usually no sexual contact takes place. A representative individual from this third group summed it up as follows: "In no way would I be passive with a guy more effeminate than me." It should not be inferred that all males belonging to this group follow this dictum all the time. But it does appear to represent the feelings and actions most of the time of most of the interviewees belonging to this group.
Active Anal
Passive Anal
t beginning of year "*---Sexual preference interview differs
Fig. 1. Respondents grouped by major sexual activity during first sustained year of homosexual encounters.
Participants in Urban Mexican Male Homosexual Encounters
~ Active Anal
I Pass±ve Anal
283
.Age at time of interview -~--Sexual activity ist sustained year differs
Fig. 2. Respondentsgrouped by sexual preferenceat time of interview. As the interviews progressed, it became obvious that it was not going to be possible to develop equal samples of the three sexual preference groups. For example, it was not always possible to predict to which group a prospective interviewee belonged. Only after the completion of an interview was it possible to determine the group to which he should be assigned. Further, over time he might shift from one group to another with changing sex preferences and practices (compare Figs. 1 and 2). Also, males who appeared to belong to the anal active group proved to be the most reluctant interviewees. They were reluctant because, though they might be as heavily involved in homosexual encounters as anal passive males, many of them tended to look on their same-sex contacts as a transitional thing prior to marriage. In addition, although they are not stigmatized as are anal passive males and may even on occasion talk with other male friends about their same-sex contacts, they appeared not to want to have to think deeply about their experiences. Seven of the ten males declining to be interviewed were believed to be anal active in their homosexual relations. This judgment was based on information given by anal passive informants who claimed that they were or had been sex partners of those declining the interview. THE FIFTY-THREE INTERVIEWEES Based on their sexual experiences up to the time of interview, the 53 interviewees may be grouped as follows: 48 of the 53 (90~) preferred and, in a majority of their homosexual contacts, practiced anal intercourse, four of the 53 (8~) preferred oralgenital contacts, and one of the 53 preferred mutual masturbation. Of the 48 preferring anal contacts at the time of the interview, 14 preferred to be anal active, 17 preferred to be anal passive, and 17 preferred to be both anal active and passive (see Fig. 2). At the time of interview, three of the four preferring and practicing oral sex preferred the oral insertor role; the other one preferred to be both oral insertor and insertee. It should be noted that most of the respondents had had some oral sexual contacts. Their reactions may be grouped three ways: those who allowed no oral-genital contacts, those who were reluctant but occasionally allowed some, and those who were
284
Carrier
Table lI. Some Group Characteristics of Respondents" Anal Characteristics of respondents Active Median age First ejaculation after puberty First homosexual contact First sustained year homosexual encounters First heterosexual contact Respondents with heterosexual contact(s) Median years education Median No. siblings Sample No.
14 15 16 16 88~ 8 6 17
Active and Passive passive 13 15 16 15 78~ 9 4 9
13 14 15.5 18 32~ 9.5 4 22
Oral
Total b
14 16 19 15 100~ 6 5 4
14 15 16 16 62~ 9 5 53
"Grouped by major homosexual activity first sustained year following first ejaculation. The total includes a respondent whose major homosexual activity first sustained year consisted only of mutual masturbation. indifferent and thus allowed many. When allowed, however, oral-genital contacts were not generally a first choice or a prime objective. They tended mainly to be preliminary to anal intercourse, or were a substitute in situations where anal intercourse was not possible, or risky, such as in movie houses, steam baths, or automobiles. It is of interest to note that the respondents who had more than occasional oral-genital contacts had most of them with N o r t h American males. Rather than being grouped by all homosexual experiences at the time of interview or by first experiences, the interviewees are grouped in the tables and Fig. 1 according to the major kind of sex practiced during the first sustained year of homosexual activity after attainment of puberty. This grouping allows intragroup comparisons of the interviewees for this important part of their sexual life. F o r any interviewee, the beginning of these experiences may or may not have occurred at the same age as first homosexual contact (see Table II). First homosexual contact is not used as the basic criterion for grouping since it often represents only one kind of sexual experimentation carried out by m a n y males during adolescence who never become heavily involved in homosexual encounters in the years that follow. For a given interviewee, the basic criterion for determining the first sustained year of homosexual activity is repeated homosexual experiences over a 12-month time period after puberty. The grouping of the interviewees by this criterion is shown in Fig. 1. O f the 48 interviewees preferring anal contacts, 17 may be categorized as anal active, 22 as anal passive, and nine as anal active and passive. Of the remaining five interviewees, three may be categorized as oral insertors, one as oral insertor and insertee, and one as mutual masturbator. Table II presents some characteristics of the respondents grouped by first year of sustained homosexual experiences. G r o u p comparisons show no significant differences between groups as to median age of first ejaculation, first homosexual contact, or first sustained year of homosexual encounters, although there appears to be a tendency for respondents in the anal passive group to have had those experiences
285
Participants in Urban Mexican Male Homosexual Encounters Table III. Comparison of Respondents' Sexual Preference and Majority of Homosexual Experiences at Time of Interview* Anal At time of interview Active Sexual preference Anal Active Active/passive Passive Oral Masturbation No preference Total Majority of homosexual experiences Anal Active Active/passive Passive Oral Masturbation Total Median age of respondents at time of interview Median years between first sustained year of homosexual experiences and time of interview Sample No.
Active and Passive passive
Total b
59% 41% 0 0 0 0 100K
44% 33% 0 0 0 23% 100~
0 23% 77% 0 0 0 100%
26% 28Yo 32% 8% 2% 4Yo 100yo
59% 41~ 0 0 0 100% 24
22~ 0 78~ 23~ 0 77% 0 0 0 0 lOOyo 100~ 20 21
22% 36~ 32~ 8Yo 2% 100K 22
8 17
5 9
5 22
5 53
Grouped by major homosexual activity first sustained year following first ejaculation, b The total includes four respondents whose major homosexual activities first sustained year following first ejaculation were oral-genital and one respondent whose major sexual activity was mutual masturbation. Their sexual preference and majority of homosexual experiences at time of interview remained the same as first-year experiences.
Table IV. Respondents Having Homosexual Contact with Older Male Prior to First Ejaculationa Age at contact 5-8 9-12 Sample No.
Anal active 6Yo 6Yo 17
Anal Median age passive older males Age range 36Yo 36yo 22
18.5 18.0
12-43 14-40
a Grouped by major homosexual activity first sustained year following first ejaculation. Passive v s . active males with and without adult contact between ages 5-12: Z2 = 14.12 (1 df, P
Participants in Urban Mexican Male Homosexual Encounters 1 J. M. Carrier~
PH.D. 2
Preliminary data are presented on 53 urban Mexican males interviewed during 1970-1971 in a study of homosexual encounters in a large Mexican city. These data are compared with data from recent studies in the United States and England of male homosexual behavior. Although preliminary and limited, the Mexican data indicate that cultural factors are important determinants of life styles and sex practices of homosexual males. Forty-eight of the 53 (90%) preferred and usually practiced anal intercourse, four preferred oral contacts, and one preferred mutual masturbation. Interviewees were also grouped according to major type of sex activity during the first sustained year of homosexual activity after puberty. One intragroup comparison indicates significant differences between anal active and anal passive interviewees. For example, as children anal passive subjects had significantly more homosexual contacts with adults; they also considered themselves more effeminate and as children were more involved with female sex-typed activities. Comparison of data from the English and United States studies with the present data suggests that preference for a particular sexual technique is not as developed in the former two countries; when there is a preference, it is not usually for anal intercourse. INTRODUCTION This paper presents some preliminary data on 53 urban Mexican males interviewed during the latter part of 1970 and early 1971 as part of a study of homosexual encounters in a large Mexican city; it then compares the data presented with data from comparatively recent United States and English studies of male homosexual behavior. The objective o f the paper is to suggest that the Mexican data, though preliminary and limited in scope, support the notion that cultural factors play an important part in the determination o f the kind of life styles and sex practices of males who participate in homosexual encounters. In a forthcoming paper, some of the factors which appear to underlie Mexican homosexual behavior--such as machismo and the dual categorization of females--will be considered in terms of their effects on patterns o f behavior. The plan of the paper is as follows. First, a description is given as to how the 1 This research was supported by an NIMH Predoctoral Fellowship, 5F01 MH 45897-02. 2 School of Social Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California. 279 ~ ) 1972 Plenum Publishing Corporation, 227 West 17th Street, New York, N.Y. I00I 1.
280
Carrier
interviewees were selected. Second, a s h o r t d e s c r i p t i o n is given o f the interview situat i o n a n d questionnaire. Third, a d e s c r i p t i o n o f the i n t e r v i e w e e s - - g r o u p e d b y sex p r a c t i c e s - - i s given, with s o m e o f the d a t a s u m m a r i z e d in the f o r m o f figures a n d tables. F o u r t h , a n d last, a b r i e f c o m p a r i s o n is m a d e between M e x i c a n , U n i t e d States, a n d English h o m o s e x u a l b e h a v i o r .
SELECTION
OF INTERVIEWEES
The study p o p u l a t i o n (in a statistical sense) was defined to include all males w h o p a r t i c i p a t e in h o m o s e x u a l e n c o u n t e r s in the city o f G u a d a l a j a r a ; however, expectations were at the o u t s e t o f the s t u d y t h a t a r a n d o m s a m p l e o f this p o p u l a t i o n w o u l d n o t be feasible. I t was thus d e c i d e d t h a t a limited stratified q u o t a s a m p l e was a r e a s o n a b l e goal. A t the s t a r t o f the interview p e r i o d , i n f o r m a t i o n g a t h e r e d d u r i n g the p r e c e d i n g 9 m o n t h s o f field w o r k in G u a d a l a j a r a - - w h i c h has a p o p u l a t i o n o f a little over 1 m i l l i o n a c c o r d i n g to the 1970 c e n s u s - - c o n f i r m e d t h a t r a n d o m s a m p l i n g w o u l d n o t be feasible. Based on the field w o r k , the decision was m a d e to stratify the s a m p l e on three different classes o f a c t o r s differentiated b y their sexual p r a c t i c e s : active, passive, a n d active a n d p a s s i v e ) S o c i o e c o n o m i c level, a n i m p o r t a n t variable, was also a criterion for selection. I f s o c i o e c o n o m i c level were to be ignored, one c o u l d c o n c e i v a b l y end u p with a d i s t o r t e d g r o u p i n g such as o n l y u p p e r class passive males a n d lower class 3 The terms insertor and insertee are considered more useful than active and passive when applied to sex roles (Hooker, 1965). An insertor intromits his penis into an orifice, whereas an insertee accepts it in his orifice. They are not used in this paper for two reasons. First, most homosexual contacts in Mexico are anal; thus there should be no confusion as to the active partner being the insertor. Second, and most important, the terms activo and pasivo are used by the respondents themselves in conversation, and popular Mexican terms descriptive of males having sex with other males make the same distinction, e.g., mayate for activo and puto for pasivo. Two examples of their use in conversation are the following. While driving across Guadalajara, the author overheard several interviewees in his car debating whether a popular Mexican male singer was activo or pasivo in his homosexual relations. The author on another occasion overheard an interviewee ask a male he knew only slightly whether he was activo or pasivo. The response was "iDependet." ("It depends t"). Table L Percentage Distribution of Population by Family Size and Income Number in family Living alone 2-3 4-5 6-7 8-9 10+
Sample Guadalajara" 7.6 5.7 9.4 22.8 24.5 30.0
1.0 11.2 22.7 22.9 25.8 16.4
100%
100%
Family income Sample Urban (pesos]month) Mexico b 0-600 601-1500 1501-4500 4501 +
13 30 38 19
30 36 27 7
I009/oo 100%
° Percent distribution based on 1960 census of Guadalajara. b Estimate of distribution in urban Mexico for 1970 (Leyva, 1970).
Participants in Urban Mexican Male Homosexual Encounters
281
active males. Table I compares the distribution of the respondents' family income with the estimated distribution of family income in urban Mexico for 1970. The comparison suggests that the sample is skewed in the direction of upper income groups. Table I also compares the distribution of the respondents' family size with the reported distribution of family size in Guadalajara for 1960. Although this variable was not controlled, it is of interest to note that the sample distribution roughly approximates that of Guadalajara but is skewed in the direction of larger sized families. Most of the interviewees were known through social intermediaries and contacts developed during the 9 months of field work that preceded the interview time period. Ten friendship circles and ten additional individuals were socialized with, with varying amounts of time spent with any one group or individual. 4 These persons formed the central pool from which the respondents were selected for interview. As the interviews progressed, respondents outside this pool were also selected. At the end of the interview period, the final list of prospective respondents numbered 70. Of this total, 53 completed interviews, seven agreed to be interviewed but did not keep appointments (after three no-shows the respondent was dropped), and ten declined to be interviewed. Of those completing interviews, 35 belonged to one of the ten friendship circles studied, five were individually known prior to interview, and 13 were either slightly known or not known prior to interview. THE INTERVIEW
The respondents were interviewed in Spanish in the author's apartment. Easy and private access was assured the respondents since the apartment house is located near the center of Guadalajara and has commercial establishments on the ground floor. The respondents required 3-5 hr on the average to complete the structured interview. All but six of them completed the questionnaire in one session. Once started, none refused to complete his interview. Four of them, however, showed signs of extreme nervousness and resisted answering questions related to their own homosexual practices. Their interviews are considered incomplete but usable in that sufficient information was obtained from the questions answered and from some of their sexual partners known by the author. It is of interest to note that in differing amounts and quality additional information on all the interviewees was obtained from their friends and/or sex partners during the 1½ years of field work. The questionnaire was developed and tested during the 9 months of field work in Guadalajara. It is divided into seven parts: vital statistics, relations with family and friends, physical characteristics, history of early sexual experiences, history of homosexual experiences, history of heterosexual experiences, and beliefs about societal attitudes toward homosexuality. Each part contains a mix of "forced-choice" and "open-ended" questions. Part 2, in addition, had the respondents rate, on a semantic 4 The author was a participant-observer in the sense the term is used by Zelditch (1962): "The field worker directly observes and also participates in the sense that he has durable social relations in the social system under investigation." Socialization included going to bars, cantinas, restaurants, and parties with informants. It also included getting to know the parents and siblings of several informants and attending dinners, parties, and other social functions with their families.
282
Carrier
differential of 13 attributes, their mother, father, and self according to their experiences remembered up to the age of 17. THE THREE INTERVIEW G R O U P S
In selecting interviewees, an attempt was made to develop equal samples of three sexual preference groups--active, passive, and active and passive. Judging from information obtained in Guadalajara and from other parts of both urban and rural Mexico, the sexual connection in most Mexican homosexual encounters is anal, with one participant active and the other passive. For a given dyad, a low probability exists that both active and passive anal intercourse are practiced by both participants. That is, generally speaking two passive males--or two active males--will not have sexual relations with each other. When the prospective partner of a passive male turns out to be passive--or a prospective partner of an active male turns out to be active--the usual consequence is that no sexual act takes place. Two groups thus appear to result from this dichotomization of individual sex preferences. The third group includes those males who are both anal active and anal passive, and so provide an intersection of the other two groups (see Fig. 1). It is important to note, however, that they are generally not active and passive with the same partner. Most of the males belonging to this third group appear to rank most prospective partners as to whether they are more masculine or more feminine than themselves. If thought more masculine, the prospective partner is generally rated active sexually; if more feminine, passive sexually. What happens if their judgment turns out to be incorrect? For example, what happens if th e male judged more effeminate turns out to be only active sexually 9. In this event, the data suggest that usually no sexual contact takes place. A representative individual from this third group summed it up as follows: "In no way would I be passive with a guy more effeminate than me." It should not be inferred that all males belonging to this group follow this dictum all the time. But it does appear to represent the feelings and actions most of the time of most of the interviewees belonging to this group.
Active Anal
Passive Anal
t beginning of year "*---Sexual preference interview differs
Fig. 1. Respondents grouped by major sexual activity during first sustained year of homosexual encounters.
Participants in Urban Mexican Male Homosexual Encounters
~ Active Anal
I Pass±ve Anal
283
.Age at time of interview -~--Sexual activity ist sustained year differs
Fig. 2. Respondentsgrouped by sexual preferenceat time of interview. As the interviews progressed, it became obvious that it was not going to be possible to develop equal samples of the three sexual preference groups. For example, it was not always possible to predict to which group a prospective interviewee belonged. Only after the completion of an interview was it possible to determine the group to which he should be assigned. Further, over time he might shift from one group to another with changing sex preferences and practices (compare Figs. 1 and 2). Also, males who appeared to belong to the anal active group proved to be the most reluctant interviewees. They were reluctant because, though they might be as heavily involved in homosexual encounters as anal passive males, many of them tended to look on their same-sex contacts as a transitional thing prior to marriage. In addition, although they are not stigmatized as are anal passive males and may even on occasion talk with other male friends about their same-sex contacts, they appeared not to want to have to think deeply about their experiences. Seven of the ten males declining to be interviewed were believed to be anal active in their homosexual relations. This judgment was based on information given by anal passive informants who claimed that they were or had been sex partners of those declining the interview. THE FIFTY-THREE INTERVIEWEES Based on their sexual experiences up to the time of interview, the 53 interviewees may be grouped as follows: 48 of the 53 (90~) preferred and, in a majority of their homosexual contacts, practiced anal intercourse, four of the 53 (8~) preferred oralgenital contacts, and one of the 53 preferred mutual masturbation. Of the 48 preferring anal contacts at the time of the interview, 14 preferred to be anal active, 17 preferred to be anal passive, and 17 preferred to be both anal active and passive (see Fig. 2). At the time of interview, three of the four preferring and practicing oral sex preferred the oral insertor role; the other one preferred to be both oral insertor and insertee. It should be noted that most of the respondents had had some oral sexual contacts. Their reactions may be grouped three ways: those who allowed no oral-genital contacts, those who were reluctant but occasionally allowed some, and those who were
284
Carrier
Table lI. Some Group Characteristics of Respondents" Anal Characteristics of respondents Active Median age First ejaculation after puberty First homosexual contact First sustained year homosexual encounters First heterosexual contact Respondents with heterosexual contact(s) Median years education Median No. siblings Sample No.
14 15 16 16 88~ 8 6 17
Active and Passive passive 13 15 16 15 78~ 9 4 9
13 14 15.5 18 32~ 9.5 4 22
Oral
Total b
14 16 19 15 100~ 6 5 4
14 15 16 16 62~ 9 5 53
"Grouped by major homosexual activity first sustained year following first ejaculation. The total includes a respondent whose major homosexual activity first sustained year consisted only of mutual masturbation. indifferent and thus allowed many. When allowed, however, oral-genital contacts were not generally a first choice or a prime objective. They tended mainly to be preliminary to anal intercourse, or were a substitute in situations where anal intercourse was not possible, or risky, such as in movie houses, steam baths, or automobiles. It is of interest to note that the respondents who had more than occasional oral-genital contacts had most of them with N o r t h American males. Rather than being grouped by all homosexual experiences at the time of interview or by first experiences, the interviewees are grouped in the tables and Fig. 1 according to the major kind of sex practiced during the first sustained year of homosexual activity after attainment of puberty. This grouping allows intragroup comparisons of the interviewees for this important part of their sexual life. F o r any interviewee, the beginning of these experiences may or may not have occurred at the same age as first homosexual contact (see Table II). First homosexual contact is not used as the basic criterion for grouping since it often represents only one kind of sexual experimentation carried out by m a n y males during adolescence who never become heavily involved in homosexual encounters in the years that follow. For a given interviewee, the basic criterion for determining the first sustained year of homosexual activity is repeated homosexual experiences over a 12-month time period after puberty. The grouping of the interviewees by this criterion is shown in Fig. 1. O f the 48 interviewees preferring anal contacts, 17 may be categorized as anal active, 22 as anal passive, and nine as anal active and passive. Of the remaining five interviewees, three may be categorized as oral insertors, one as oral insertor and insertee, and one as mutual masturbator. Table II presents some characteristics of the respondents grouped by first year of sustained homosexual experiences. G r o u p comparisons show no significant differences between groups as to median age of first ejaculation, first homosexual contact, or first sustained year of homosexual encounters, although there appears to be a tendency for respondents in the anal passive group to have had those experiences
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Participants in Urban Mexican Male Homosexual Encounters Table III. Comparison of Respondents' Sexual Preference and Majority of Homosexual Experiences at Time of Interview* Anal At time of interview Active Sexual preference Anal Active Active/passive Passive Oral Masturbation No preference Total Majority of homosexual experiences Anal Active Active/passive Passive Oral Masturbation Total Median age of respondents at time of interview Median years between first sustained year of homosexual experiences and time of interview Sample No.
Active and Passive passive
Total b
59% 41% 0 0 0 0 100K
44% 33% 0 0 0 23% 100~
0 23% 77% 0 0 0 100%
26% 28Yo 32% 8% 2% 4Yo 100yo
59% 41~ 0 0 0 100% 24
22~ 0 78~ 23~ 0 77% 0 0 0 0 lOOyo 100~ 20 21
22% 36~ 32~ 8Yo 2% 100K 22
8 17
5 9
5 22
5 53
Grouped by major homosexual activity first sustained year following first ejaculation, b The total includes four respondents whose major homosexual activities first sustained year following first ejaculation were oral-genital and one respondent whose major sexual activity was mutual masturbation. Their sexual preference and majority of homosexual experiences at time of interview remained the same as first-year experiences.
Table IV. Respondents Having Homosexual Contact with Older Male Prior to First Ejaculationa Age at contact 5-8 9-12 Sample No.
Anal active 6Yo 6Yo 17
Anal Median age passive older males Age range 36Yo 36yo 22
18.5 18.0
12-43 14-40
a Grouped by major homosexual activity first sustained year following first ejaculation. Passive v s . active males with and without adult contact between ages 5-12: Z2 = 14.12 (1 df, P
