How Stereotypes About Drug Use Harm the Gay Community

How Stereotypes About Drug Use Harm the Gay Community Addiction Drug Use Print How Stereotypes About Drug Use Harm the Gay Community By Elizabeth Hartney, BSc., MSc., MA, PhD Elizabeth Hartney, BSc, MSc, MA, PhD is a psychologist, professor, and Director of the Centre for Health Leadership and Research at Royal Roads University, Canada. Learn about our editorial policy Elizabeth Hartney, BSc., MSc., MA, PhD Updated on September 25, 2019 Image Source/Getty Images More in Addiction Drug Use Cocaine Heroin Marijuana Meth Ecstasy/MDMA Hallucinogens Opioids Prescription Medications Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery There is a  stereotype  that gay men use recreational drugs. While research tells us that  sexual minorities, including gay men, may be more likely to use drugs, and at higher risk for substance use problems and  addictions, the truth is that many gay men do not use drugs. For example, statistics showing that a third of gay men use drugs also indicate that twice as many do not. Most of the focus of research into substance use in sexual minorities has been with gay men, largely because of concerns about HIV in the gay community. Research has shown that some gay men engage in the dangerous  party and play  activities, during which substance use, and particularly the use of crystal  meth, has been combined with unsafe sex, including sex with multiple partners. Yet research has also shown that one of many  myths about gay meth use  is that these activities are common among gay men â€" in reality, only a minority of gay men take meth and have unsafe sex. Sources of Misinformation in the Gay Community So where do these myths come from? There are several possible sources of this misinformation. One source of the misinformation is research bias.  Studies of drug use among gay men may recruit samples of men who are not representative of the full population of gay men, but instead, subpopulations of drug-using gay men.  While it does appear that subcultures of gay men do engage in recreational drug use, those who do not may not be identified by researchers, particularly if they are well integrated into the mainstream community. In fact, when studies are carefully reviewed, there is not a consistent message that gay men use drugs more than straight or bisexual men.  In fact, it seems that while bisexual young people are more likely to use drugs than other sexual identity groups, gay young men are not necessarily more likely than straight men to use drugs, particularly alcohol. Another source of the stereotype could reflect gay men when they are new to the gay scene, who are isolated, and reach out to other gay men through gay dating sites and gay bars, simply because it is the easiest way to meet peers and potential partners.  The focus of these settings may be casual sex and even  PnP, which can seem to be the norm.  This doesnt reflect non-sexual relationships with other gay men who are not engaging in these activities, which can take time to develop. The stereotype can also be reinforced deliberately and used to take advantage of the naivety of young, less experienced gay men.  Some unscrupulous drug dealers  take advantage of young, naive gay men by selling them drugs apply  peer pressure  by implying that drug use is what all gay men are doing, rather than that they are exploiting a young man to do something unwise or unusual. Another place these myths come from is die-hard homophobes.  Homophobia may be conscious or unconscious, but some very harmful attitudes towards gay men emerged in the 1980s, and for some people, have not disappeared.  These attitudes can include the belief that gay men are more likely to both use drugs and to engage in compulsive sex than heterosexuals. The Reality In reality, drug use and sex addiction can occur in men or women, and in both heterosexuals and sexual minorities.  Although party and play are typically used to describe gay drug-fuelled sex, in fact, the practice of taking drugs prior to casual sex is common among sex workers, who have to cope with a variety of stressors, including having sex with people they are not attracted to.  And the phenomenon of heterosexuals getting  intoxicated  and even  front-loading  before engaging in casual sex is so common as to be considered normal in many communities, particularly among younger people.