Gay slang bottom
What Does “Top” Mean?
In the context of gay relationships and sexual dynamics, terms such as “top”, “bottom”, “verse” and “side” are often used to explain a person’s sexual preferences and roles. It is essential to knowing these terms not only for members of the LGBTQ+ society, but also for increasing understanding and acceptance of homosexual relationships in society.
What Does “Top” Mean?Physical AspectsEmotional and Psychological AspectsCommunication and ConsentWhat Does “Bottom” Mean?Physical AspectsEmotional and Psychological AspectsThe Stigma Around Being a BottomWhat Does “Verse” Mean?Accepting DiversityCommunication and CompatibilityWhat Does “Side” Mean?Non-Penetrative IntimacyOpposing NormsAccepting One’s IdentityRoles and MythsHealth and Safety During Gay Sex
As a rule, in queer sexual relationships, the “top” is the partner who has a penetrative role during anal sex. However, the framework of top includes much more than just physical actions: it includes a whole set of attitudes, preferences, and sometimes emotional roles.
Physical Aspects
In physical terms, the top in a gay sexual relationship is the partner performing the penetration. This may include the apply
Top/Bottom
The terms top and bottom emerged as descriptors of a sexual binary in the gay leather culture of the 1950s and the bondage and sadomasochism (BDSM) culture of the 1960s. Originally, the top-bottom binary signified both sexual positions and authority relationships in which a top was a sexual aggressor and penetrator who often acted as the more forceful and dominant partner; the bottom represented the more submissive, typically penetrated, and often "punished" partner.
DEFINITION AND USE OF THE TERMS
In the BDSM community the term top indicates the dominant spouse who inflicts pain on, enacts control over, or otherwise subjects his or her partner to acts associated with bondage, discipline, and sadomasochism. The phrase bottom indicates the receiver of such treatment. In these cases the terms are not gender-specific: A male or a female may act as a top or a bottom. Although the top is the dominant partner, the bottom often still has control. For example, a top who takes advice from the bottom's explicitly expressed wishes often is called a service top.
These terms evolved in the 1970s and 1980s as they were adapted by the gay community. In that community they
1) Someone who prefers to seize a more submissive role in sexual situations. This definition pertains to the B/D/S/M (Bondage and Domination, Domimation and Submission, Sado-Masochism) scene.
2) A homosexual male who either a) enjoys receiving anal penetration or b) is activeluy deeply interested in being anally penetrated.
1) You can tell she's a bottom because she's wearing a collar.
2) Oh, Jeff is such a bottom. As soon as any cute guy walks past he's on his back with his knees by his ears!
by DocLightning November 09, 2004
A person of any above description who is more passive in a sexual situation. Allows the other person to arrange the tone/method of sex. May or may not include S & M, fantasy role play or fetishes. If it does include S & M, the bottom will be the receptor of bondage & pain play and will be the server of the top.
by dijjn June 04, 2003
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I see a lot of "bottom" "top" and "vers" online and on dating apps, but if you're a virgin, and still haven't had sex with someone, how do you know? Should you just try both, and then know? And do these three terms only utilize to anal intercourse, or is it other forms of sex too?
—Alexei, 18, he/him
There’s little on this great lush earth that’ll build you feel more on the identify than having to choose a label for yourself. Especially if the criteria of those labels are based on something theoretical, love the future sex you’ll be having. Your stress is totally understandable, but I come bearing some great news: It often takes a while, sometimes many years, for gay and fluid people to self-identify as a “bottom,” “top,” or “versatile” (vers for short).
I’m not just saying that as a hunch — there’s actual data on the subject. In a recent survey pub
Troye Sivan said he's a 'verse' during sex, not a 'top' or 'bottom.' Here's what the terms mean.
Troye Sivan, a singer known for his footpath "Bloom," recently set unbent rumors that he only enjoys receiving penetration during sex.
"I think in the sort of consciousness of gay people I'm some crazy power bottom or something, which is just not the case, and I just wanted to put that out there," Sivan, a gay male, said on Emily Ratajkowski's podcast "High Low."
Sivan said that he's a "verse," meaning he enjoys both penetrating a partner and being penetrated during sex.
"Verse," as well as the terms "top" and "bottom" are popular ways to describe sexual preferences in the queer community.
While the terms were originally used to describe the sexual preferences of queer men in the 1970s, more LGBTQ+ people have adopted the terms to speak about what they enjoy in sex.
Lately, top/bottom/verse discourse has grown more noticeable on TikTok, where gender non-conforming people have been making videos describing the singular struggles of each preference.
It's vital to note that each of these categories means something a little distinct to each person, s