Reddit Bros Report Getting High Makes Them a Little Bit Gay

Does getting high make you a little gay? If so, you may just be a "highsexual."

The term, ensconced in Urban Dictionary since 2009, made its way onto two Reddit forums in recent weeks as a way to describe the alleged phenomenon of participating in sex with someone of the same gender or having same-sex fantasies when getting incredibly high.

But while perhaps not common parlance, these two threads — "Can LSD make you temporarily gay?" and "Weed makes me temporarily gay. Anyone else?" — are example of a phenomenon that's been around for awhile. It seems straight guys have wondered about "highsexuality" for a few years, given the plethora of online evidence. Are drugs the key to sexual fluidity in men?

Responses in both Reddit threads exhibited an awareness of "highsexuality," as well as the fact that getting high makes you horny and just might lead to a more unconventional sexual encounter. But they also were encouraging in their acceptance of sexual fluidity. For example, in the thread regarding LSD, commenters indicated an understanding that how one identifies may not always align with their sexual behavior — and that's OK:

Responses were similar throughout the thread concerning weed. A user keenly broke down the binary of straight and gay. They also referred to evidence on the liberating effects of drugs: 

Yes, science is on their side: Research suggests that sexual inhibitions decline during recreational drug use. These Reddit threads are more than just the paranoid musings of Internet trolls. Not only is science on their side, but the sympathetic comments suggest that "highsexuality" is a more common feeling among self-identified straight men than one might think.

These threads highlight that sexual orientation — or how one identifies — is not the same as sexual behavior or how one acts. They are proof that sexual fluidity is not experienced only by women, as is the more common stereotype, but by men as well. 

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