Am I a pig?

By Chris Williams, updated 12 months ago in Lifestyle / LGBT people and culture

Tattooed man with nose ring and spacers and beard

Bears, wolves, pandas, bulls, pups, cubs and otters all online! In a digital dating zootopia, surely something separates the smell of sizzling bacon from going the whole hog — so what does it really mean to be a gay pig and who qualifies?

It seems our ages, shapes, sizes and even amounts of body hair are key differentiators for splitting up the smorgasbord of gay subculture identities. But our fascination for categorising ourselves and each other with labels borrowed from the animal kingdom is a whole other kettle of fish. While clear boundaries between categories might not have crisp edges, one of these doesn’t quite squeeze its curly tail into a box along with the others: pigs.

Most of the common creature classifications are founded in physical attributes backhanded to us by Mother Nature. Too slim to be a bear but too furry to be a twink? No problem — maybe you oughta’ embrace being an otter.

Other factors beyond our control such as age and genetic ancestry also help forge these tribal alliances. From what I hear, only robust gentlemen from Asian communities have the potential to be pandas, and only time will tell when young cubs eventually mature into bearhood.

So where does that leave the humble gay pig?

There’s not a sausage of evidence to suggest these curious critters all outwardly present in the same way. Young, mature, svelte, muscled, chunky, furry, and everything in between. What’s ubiquitous for those with a porcine propensity (that’s the animal family name for pigs by the way) are behaviour-based characteristics.

“There’s not a sausage of evidence to suggest these curious critters all outwardly present in the same way.”

I won’t boar you with all the details, but if you find yourself squealing with delight at the mention of any of these in a sexual setting, perhaps you might be a little piggy too:

Although no formal description of the ‘gay pig’ term seems to exist, Urban Dictionary offers a definition dating back to 2003: “A homosexual man who likes to have dirty sex, including watersports and lots of ejaculate.”

Other definitions floating around the world wide web use terms such as kinky, sleazy, raunchy and seedy. We could split hairs over how each of those is described in the dictionary, but you probably get the gist by now. Though if you’re curious for more, check out our guide to kink for beginners.

man wears red rubber fetish wear with the word PIG in black letters on the back

Who gives an oink anyway?

The popularity of proclaiming a piggy persona on profiles across dating apps reflects how more and more gay and bisexual men are comfortable communicating the kind of sex they enjoy, as well as discussing sexual safety practices.

If you find yourself flirting with a view to heavy petting one of these prize pigs, it’s a great opportunity to ask about what kind of activities you might mutually enjoy together. Discussing limits — or even declaring if you have none — can help make sure everyone’s clear with what you choose to get up to when getting down to business.

“…more and more gay and bisexual men are comfortable communicating the kind of sex they enjoy, as well as discussing sexual safety practices.”

Ultimately, anyone of us has the opportunity to consider ourselves a gay pig (or not) regardless of the kind of sex we enjoy. If it’s legal, consensual and enjoyable, then surely a little of what you fancy can’t be a bad thing?

Sexual safety for swines

Gay pig sex might involve all sorts of bodily fluids, which can increase the risk of HIV and other STIs. You can maximise your protection by using strategies such as condoms, PrEP, managing an undetectable viral load if you’re living with HIV, or PEP when it’s needed.

It’s even possible to combine strategies, serving up a platter of possible ways to stay safe. Hog whatever works harmoniously for you and check out Wanna compare tools? Here’s how safe sex choices measure up down under for our handy guide to comparing strategies.

For more on boosting your safety and enjoyment, check out Emen8’s Knowledge Hub as well as getting the lowdown from these online resources produced specially for guys who enjoy a more adventurous trot on the wild side:

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