Though millions watch it, porn remains a charged issue within society around the world. Within our community, not so much. Many see it as a safe way to get off and explore sexual fantasies and learn techniques. There are many forms of porn including magazines, old school videos, DVDs, art, written stories though, primarily, the internet.
Over the past 50 years, gay porn in the UK evolved alongside decriminalisation, media shifts, and gay liberation. In the 1970s–80s it circulated covertly via magazines, Super 8 films, and mail-order, shaped by obscenity laws and policing. The AIDS crisis in the 1980s constrained production but also politicised sexual representation. The 1990s brought VHS, specialist shops, and early UK studios. However, we should be forgiving of predictable storylines, over-sized dicks and seamless steamy action:
- “I’m here to check your plumbing”
“Come in, leak’s under the sink in the kitchen.” - “Here’s your pizza, did your order extra sausage?”
“No, I’m vegan.” - “Is this where the delivery goes or should I come inside?”
“Stand in the rain, you won’t be a moment.” - “I was told you need help with something big and hard to handle.”
“Yes, the wardrobe’s upstairs.” - “‘I’ve never does this before.”
“Shopping at IKEA can be very scary.” - “Oh dear, your printer’s not working.”
“Check the paper tray.”
From the 2000s onward, the internet transformed access, aesthetics, and economics, globalising content (Only Fans) being an example, and weakening UK homegrown production. Today, porn sits at the crossroads of freedom, technology, and harm. Governments are trying to reduce risk without unduly restricting lawful adult behaviour. However, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to meet all needs.
Age-verification checks
There is evidence of a substantial drop in overall pornography traffic from UK users after the UK introduced mandatory age-verification checks under the Online Safety Act (effective from 25 July 2025). However, the data typically refers to broad porn-site traffic rather than content segmented specifically by genre (e.g., gay vs heterosexual). The changes have drawn substantial criticism, with concerns that the rules are easily circumvented, that the security measures pose risks to data privacy, and that they are leading to unintended and excessive censorship.
UK porn traffic down since beginning of age checks but VPN use up, says Ofcom | The Guardian | 10 Dec 2025
How have Britons reacted to age verification? | YouGov | 31 Jul 2025
UK online safety law leads to 5m extra age checks a day for pornography sites | The Guardian | 30 Jul 2025
Harms
There are ongoing concerns that porn causes harm. For example, the dopamine your brain produces when you watch it (that’s the “I like this” pleasure bit) will steer you back to watch more so there is potential for addiction. This reward-learning loop can:
- lower arousal (getting horny) thresholds
- increase novelty-seeking scenarios
- reduce sensitivity to intimacy in the real world
- reinforce compulsive patterns, particularly where stress, loneliness, or where poor emotional health already exists
What do you think?
Gay Porn’s Evolution, Gay Baiting and OnlyFans | ItsJustNick | 4 Jun 2024 | 42m 28s
What Happens When You Quit Porn? | AsapSCIENCE | 14 Oct 2021 | 8m 8s
Agree or disagree
Go online and you will find a ton of pluses and minuses so MEN R US spunk monkeys have met over tea and biccies to pull together some statements to which you may agree or disagree.
- Watching porn to cum is preferable to hooking-up for real.
- Watching porn means you are more likely to demean and objectify gay men.
- Watching porn creates unrealistic expectations of how you should perform sexually.
- Watching porn is just a bit of fun, and I could easily never watch it again.
- Watching porn that ticks our fantasy boxes can then make it difficult to be turned on by men in real life.
- Watching porn creates problems with intimacy and confidence in our own lives.
- Watching porn perpetuates an unhealthy industry that exploits and devalues men.
- Watching porn is cheaper than dating.
Points to consider if making/ appearing in/ acquiring/ watching porn
- You can film and post porn in minutes but once it’s out there you may never get it back
- Be aware that some guys may have a webcam and be streaming live
- Think carefully whether you want to be included in a porn vid, whether it’s for cash, through a hookup, or for self gratification. If you’re in doubt, don’t do it or discuss it with a sensible friend first
- It may be appropriate to put away your porn library during family visits, particularly if they include inquisitive children. This can mean pictures, videos, magazines, photographs and books, some of which can be easy to forget. You may also wish to clear your Internet search history
- If you have a camera connected to your computer left on it can be activated without you knowing
- Taking porn through customs is still not advisable. If you’re caught, it’s usually confiscated
- Be careful what you acquire – particularly off the internet. Some imagery, eg: extreme BDSM scenes and child pornography often result in heavy prison sentences
- Magazines are still for men over 18 years old
Pornography | Metropolitan Police Service (MPS/ Met) Demystifying Gay Porn | Youtube
Gay porn vs. real life | wickeykewl | 28 Sep 2017 | 4m 9s (starts at 1m 36s)
7 things you didn’t know about porn! | Davey Wavey | 24 Feb 2013 | 4m 43s AORTA films
“We believe that pornography is capable of achieving the cultural relevance, political impact, and formal artistry equal to any other form. As queer and trans people, we know that both sexuality and pornography have always been–and will always be–political. We see pornography as an essential tool for documenting queer resistance and survival, providing pre-emptive community care through life-affirming pleasure, and naming that pleasure as an inalienable human right.” Creating a Safer World – the Challenge of Regulating Online Pornography | Baroness Bertin | GOV.UK | Feb 2025
“Younger generations are increasingly identifying as part of the LGBTQIA+ community370, 371 and research has found LGBTQIA+ youth more likely to consume pornography at an earlier age than heterosexual youth.372 Pornography can also provide LGBTQIA+ youth with sexual scripts that differ from the heteronormative scripts often found in mainstream media.373 Aorta Films, an ethical queer pornography platform, told the Review how queer pornography can reflect the bodies and identities of those under-represented in mainstream pornography, supporting queer individuals by centring and celebrating difference.” ‘The real thing almost didn’t turn me on enough’: how is online porn shaping the sex lives of young men? | The Guardian | 27 Jan 2024
UK porn watchers could have faces scanned | BBC News | 5 Dec 2023
Illegal pornography, abuse and exploitation to be investigated by new reviewer | GOV.UK | 1 Dec 2023
The 2022 Year in Review | Pornhub
What have we learned from 50 years of studying porn? ‘Heterosexuality is essentially broken’ | The Guardian | 2 Sep 2022
Even nuns watch porn, Pope says, warning of risks | BBC News | 27 Oct 2022
Half of adults in UK watched porn during pandemic, says Ofcom | The Guardian | 9 Jun 2021
Pornhub removes millions of videos after investigation finds child abuse content | The Guardian | 14 Dec 2020
The problem with banning pornography on Tumblr | New York Times | 6 Dec 2018
Tumblr will ban all adult content on December 17th | The Verge | 3 Dec 2018
Is porn harmful? The evidence, the myths and the unknowns | BBC Future | 26 Sep 2017
Books
Shifting Boundaries: A Cultural History of Gay pornography | Robbie Young | Lulu.com | 2023Gay Pornography: Representations of Sexuality and Masculinity | John Mercer | Bloomsbury | 2020
The Eroto-Politics of Gay Male Video Pornography | John R Burger | Routledge | 1995
MEN R US and porn
One of the most difficult components of building this website on a budget has been illustrating content. The majority of photographs are paid for via relatively inexpensive stock photos, but many used in MEN and SEX were sourced from Butch Dixon and UK Naked Men who have given us permission to use photos from various shoots. It’s been immensely helpful as you’re unlikely to get shots of rimming or cum from digital media libraries (we tried). Equally, there will be those who will raise an eyebrow as to why we have used this particular source material.
