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Top, Bottom, or Versatile? Sexual Role Trends Across Generations and Regions on a Gay Dating App
Francesco Rampazzo1, Morten Kjær Thomsen2, Milan Kovačič3
1Department of Social Statistics, Cathie Marsh Institute, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Journal of Sex Research
|August 11, 2026
Summary
Sexual role identification among men who have sex with men (MSM) varies by age and region. Younger MSM prefer Bottom or Versatile roles, while older MSM prefer Top roles, with regional differences also observed.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Sexual Health
- Digital Communication
Background:
- Sexual role labels (Top, Bottom, Versatile) are crucial for understanding identity and self-presentation among men who have sex with men (MSM).
- Dating platforms provide large-scale data on user preferences and identity expression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe age-based and regional differences in sexual role identification among MSM on a global gay dating app.
- To explore how sexuality, identity, and self-presentation intersect within online spaces.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional analysis of data from 141,156 active users of the gay dating app Surge.
- Poisson regression modeling user-reported role preferences, incorporating interaction terms for age and continent.
- Accounting for non-linear age effects and regional variations.
Main Results:
- Younger MSM were more likely to identify as Bottom or Versatile.
- Older MSM more frequently identified as Top.
- Regional variations were significant: Versatile was most common in Europe/Oceania, Bottom in the Americas/Africa.
Conclusions:
- Sexual role identification among MSM is context-dependent, influenced by age and cultural factors.
- These findings illuminate patterns of intimacy and self-presentation among MSM globally.
- Platform data offers valuable insights into diverse MSM communities worldwide.
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