Flip The Script, An article about pegging and masculinity
It is a popular belief that enjoying getting pegged as a man is gay, but I’m here to disprove that. But first, what even is pegging? According to Wikipedia, “Pegging is a form of anal sex in which a person, commonly a woman using a strap-on dildo, penetrates another person’s anus.” Although many people believe it is gay to enjoy it, that belief is not only hypocritical, but also rooted in outdated stereotypes about masculinity and sexuality. Pleasure and intimacy don’t fit neatly into boxes, and enjoying pegging doesn’t define one’s sexual orientation, it simply reflects a person’s openness to exploring different forms of connection and sensation.
First, let’s start with the history and culture of pegging. Although the term was not officially coined until 2001, there were many depictions of it before then. The first depiction of pegging in modern media might be in the William S. Burroughs 1959 novel, Naked Lunch in which the main character, Dr. Benway, has a dildo named “Steely Dan III” (also the origin for the band Steely Dan’s name, but that’s beside the point). The most well known example was in the 1998 pornographic film, Bend Over Boyfriend. This film is more of a tutorial, intended to show heterosexual couples the art of pegging. The process was called “BOBing” after the film until the term pegging was officially coined.
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Now to the point of the article. Is pegging gay? Right out of the gate, no. People argue having anything go up there as a man is gay. But this doesn’t mean anything. Something being gay must have two men sexually or romantically involved with each other and being attracted to each other. Pegging involves a woman and a man, automatically making it straight. But others have argued it’s gay because it is replicating what a man would do, however this argument is hypocritical, as if they were to see sex with two men, one of which replicating what a woman would do, it’s still gay. For example, a woman may blow a man, which is straight. A man may try to replicate that and blow a man, that’s gay. The argument that pegging is gay is inconsistent and straight up hypocritical.
The stigma that pegging is gay also brings up the idea of masculinity. The idea that men should be dominant, men are supposed to be aggressive and in control and that any man who doesn’t show these is gay. This idea of toxic masculinity and homophobia is still held up within many communities and is what drives the belief that pegging is gay. People see a man who is submissive, a man who is allowing a woman to take control and by instinct and from the teaching of their parents and parents before them to call it gay. This reinforces a narrow and damaging definition of what it means to be a man, one that equates vulnerability or sexual openness with weakness. In reality, pegging has nothing to do with sexual orientation, but rather with preference and trust between partners. Breaking down these rigid views of masculinity not only allows men greater freedom to explore their sexuality without shame, but also challenges the toxic cycles of homophobia and gender inequality that continue to limit intimacy and self-expression.
In the end, pegging is not about being gay or straight, but about expanding the ways people can experience intimacy. The stigma surrounding it comes less from the act itself and more from the restrictive expectations placed on masculinity. By letting go of the idea that vulnerability or submission makes a man less of a man, we open the door to healthier, more honest conversations about sex, identity, and power. Pegging, like any sexual act, should be seen through the lens of consent, trust, and pleasure, not outdated stereotypes.
