Kissing, Cuddling, and Pegging Oh My: What Millennial men get up to on a Friday night.

In this provocative talk, Professor Eric Anderson (American sociologist living in the UK) will first outline his inclusive masculinity theory which suggests that masculinity is more conservative in times of extreme homophobia–something he calls homohysteria. However, whereas homosexuality was highly stigmatized in the 1980s; among millennial males today, it is homophobia that is highly stigmatized. Less concerned about being thought gay among peers, this cultural condition permits young men to exhibit feminized masculinities and to be considerably less rigid in their approach to heterosexuality. Using empirical evidence from the US, UK, and Australia, Professor Anderson shows that today’s young heterosexual males are kissing other males, cuddling other males, and enjoying their own anal sexual experiences. He finds that decreasing homophobia has made bisexuality more visible, and socially legitimate, and he shows that most of today’s male youths understand that sexuality is complicated. Finally, he finds that young heterosexual males today are having stronger, or stronger emotional relationship with their boyfriends (bromances) as their girlfriends.

Dr. Eric Anderson is Professor of Sport, Masculinities & Sexualities at the University of Winchester, in England. He holds four degrees, has published 14 books, and over 60 peer-reviewed journal articles. His research is regularly featured in international television, print and digital media. He is the leading academic expert on gay men in sport, and the architect of Inclusive Masculinity Theory, which was generated from his research showing that deceased homophobia leads to a softening of heterosexual masculinities. This permits young men to kiss, cuddle and maintain bromances with other males, while also leading to semi-sexual behaviors between men and the increased recognition of bisexuality. His sexuality research extends to the improvement that decreasing cultural homophobia has on biphobia, and his work on monogamy and cheating finds positive aspects of non-monogamous relationships, including cheating. Professor Anderson is also the trustee of the Sport Collision Injury Collective which is committed to examining and removing brain trauma caused by participation in contact sports. His interest in sport extends to critiquing organized team sports and writing about the coaching of long distance runners. Professor Anderson’s research excellence is recognized by the British Academy of Social Sciences; he is a Visiting Professor at the University of California, Irvine; and he is also a Full-Fellow of the International Academy of Sex Research.