Sexual Violence in the Lives of Gay and Bisexual Men: Configurations, Dissemination, and Intimate Orientations

• Published in: Population (English ed. : 2002) 2024-01, Vol.79 (1), p.73-107
• Main Authors: Scodellaro, Claire, Trachman, Mathieu, Balhan, Liam
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Demography; Humanities and Social Sciences
• ISSN: 1634-2941; 1958-9190
• DOI: 10.3917/popu.2401.0075

Research on sexual violence against sexual minority men has largely focused on sexual abuse in childhood, overlooking violence in adulthood. Studies have taken little account of the specificities and diversity of the ways of life of these populations and the varied ways they experience violence. Using data from a sample of men identifying as gay or bisexual who responded to the INED VIRAGE-LGBT survey on gender-based violence in France conducted in 2015-2016, this article shows that there exists a diversity of situations within this population. Our analysis of all reported sexual violence both in childhood and adulthood, along with multiple dimensions of sexuality—identification, practices, and sociability—identifies five sexual configurations differentiated by the place of sexuality within them, exposure to violence, and relationships to gay sociabilities. Using this approach, we identify different ways of life among sexual minority men, and in particular a group of individuals who have experienced sexual violence throughout their lives, including at the hands of other sexual minority men, and which seem to become disseminated throughout their existence. Membership in a sexual minority and changes over time in its societal acceptance are not the only elements that allow us to grasp the logics of the sexual violence experienced by this population. Considering the gendered organization of gay male sexuality and how the lives of gay and bisexual men are inscribed within relations of class and age, an intersectional approach to this violence is also needed. Les violences sexuelles subies par les minorités sexuelles masculines ont fait l’objet de travaux qui se sont largement focalisés sur les abus sexuels subis dans l’enfance, occultant les violences à l’âge adulte. Les études prennent peu en compte les spécificités et la diversité des modes de vie de ces populations et les différentes manières de vivre les violences subies. À partir d’un échantillon d’hommes s’identifiant comme homosexuels et bisexuels issu de l’enquête de l’Ined Virage-LGBT sur les violences de genre menée en France en 2015-2016, cet article montre qu’il existe une diversité de situations au sein de cette population. En prenant en compte l’ensemble des violences sexuelles ayant eu lieu dans l’enfance ou à l’âge adulte, ainsi que plusieurs dimensions de la sexualité – identification, pratiques, sociabilité –, cinq configurations sexuelles se dessinent et se différencient par la place qu’y ti