Talk:Anal sex - Definition and Overview

Complaints

I have a couple of complaints about this page, as follows:

in this passage "In the same mentality, women were not officially allowed to find pleasure in sex, therefore sex was only served as a sort of marital prostitution; in this sense, under the sole husband's determination, anal sex was a form of contraception too in the case of couples who already had too many babies, since the ignorance about other methods was total. Similar facts were reported up to a very few decades ago, and it is currently impossible to certify whether this mentality has been totally abandoned or has otherwise been substantially modified."

It seems clear to me that a strong opinion is present here. I object to this statement particularly "sex was only served as a sort of marital prostitution" as even in a specific example, I don't see how consummating the act of marriage can be seen as prostitution, even if in some particular it could, it is quite disturbing to label an entire culture as marital prostitutes. Also, I can't see the point of saying "women were not officially allowed to find pleasure in sex", as even if there are laws to this effect (which I doubt) they certainly would not be enforceable, and would thus be irrelevant.

and this statement here "Although both men and women might enjoy anal sex, because of this physical difference, men often have an easier time enjoying anal sex."

This seems to go far beyond the objective, and rather seems to dwell on some subjective personal musing, not something needed in a encyclopedia entry. If there is some evidence supporting this opinion, please feel free to correct me. Sorry if I came on a bit strong, but while I like this entry overall, I can't stand by on a subject so dear to my heart. ;)

(the above is my first talk edit, which I will now sign, long after the fact Sam Spade 07:21, 15 Feb 2004 (UTC))

Deleted much?

I made some edits to this page, and I hope I didn't delete over much. If so, please let me know! It was my first edit, so I would like feedback. thank you

It would be good when you delete large chunks of text that you wrote a reason for doing so. Why did you remove that text? (and welcome to Wikipedia) Tristanb 07:44, 4 Nov 2003 (UTC)

I don't know if which is the editor of the comment above, is the same as the last contributor to the article. Dysprosia 07:51, 4 Nov 2003 (UTC)

Oh, I should have checked the times better. I haven't really been following the article that closely. The last edit did remove a considerable amount of text, with the only comment Anal sex. Tristanb

I pretty much removed what I was objecting to when I thought it was off topic, and deleted or changed adjectives and phrases. I hindsight I think I failed to replace enough of it with text, but in my own defense I didn't have a lot more to say, and over all I think this article is well written and thorough. Sorry I didn't sign before, but I didn't know how at the time. JackLynch ---

Sexual surveys

This article needs more reference to sexual surveys discussing the frequency of anal sex among people--and I'm sure all the other sexual practice entries do as well.

Unfortunately most of the scientific research, like most other scientific research, is only available offline or for those with subscriptions to the online journals. Here's one site, though:

• Pfizer Global Study of Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors (http://www.pfizerglobalstudy.com/)

What about straight anal sex?

It doesn't seem NPOV to single out gay men with a heading but not include a heading for straight folks.-Hyacinth

Well, in the west, anyhow, anal sex is largely associated with gay men (though all orientations practice it). -- Pakaran 23:02, 11 Dec 2003 (UTC)

Needless to say, it isn't NPOV to reinforce the associations or stereotypes made by society. I changed the "Reasons for practice" heading, which is redudant as reasons are discussed throughout the article, such as under the heading "Pleasure" (which, by the way, I think is a hilarious heading).-Hyacinth

Fair enough. Not sure how to change the article though. -- Pakaran 23:20, 11 Dec 2003 (UTC)

Thanks. I think the article is as good or bad as it was before my change, but you are right, it could use some organization. Obviously, things need to be put under the appropriate categories or new ones need to be invented (& the section on "Pleasure" seems more appropriate for a FAQ or Q&A, not an encyclopedia entry).-Hyacinth

As to the added para on lesbians and anal sex: it conflicts with the intro definition: should mention be made of in the intro that anal sex need not involve penile insertion? Furthermore, Is stuff like rimming considered anal sex? Dysprosia 23:38, 11 Dec 2003 (UTC)

It might be - even if it isn't "anal intercourse". We already mention use of toys on straight men. I'd say that if lesbians practice vaginal sex (whcih some of them do) then they also practice anal sex (which a smaller proportion do). -- Pakaran 23:37, 11 Dec 2003 (UTC)

Ok, I'll make mention of it. Dysprosia 23:38, 11 Dec 2003 (UTC)

eunuchs fiddle scores zero on a Google search. What is it? -- Karada 14:31, 16 Dec 2003 (UTC)

Hah. Google proves its worth again! A eunuchs fiddle was an early (historic) form of vibrator before batteries. It consists of an egg shaped thingummy to stuff up you-know-where, a string attached to it, and a bow to make the string vibrate like the string of a violin. I haven't got any direct reference works at hand to cite, but I have read about it in Playboy magazine among others. It is a piece of historical trivia, rather than something popular currently, so I am not totally suprised about the lack of hits on google. Anyway, it is real, but I can't write about it authoritatively, or with any significant amount of precise historical detail. The above is pretty much what I remember about it. -- Jussi-Ville Heiskanen 17:11, Dec 16, 2003 (UTC)

Brilliant prose?

This article has had a consistant bias against female receptive anal sex, which I have been working on eliminating since I began editing the wikipedia (literally, it was my 1st edit). I request any/all who have anything useful to add on this subject to do so, and to assist me in reducing the tendancy for this article to be used as a mouthpeice for a bias or POV (not that I think it was ever intentionally used that way). Sam Spade 07:33, 15 Feb 2004 (UTC)

I'm surprised you see it that way really. What you see as bias -- as I understand it, the fact that there's more on male than female receptive anal sex -- I see as there not being all that much more to say. Would you care to expand? Exploding Boy 13:49, Feb 15, 2004 (UTC)

I don't think it's bias. It's just a reflection of the simple fact that during female receptive anal sex, men are more likely to orgasm than women. So there's an objective sense in which it's better for the male than for the female. (unsigned comment by 220.253.32.221)

Couldn't the same argument be made about oral sex, or vaginal sex (which many, perhaps most, women are unable to orgasm from alone?) Pakaran 21:54, 2 Jan 2005 (UTC)

In my opinion, vaginal sex is the most typical source of orgasm for women. As for oral sex, it's pretty obvious who is giving pleasure to whom, and when one person has finished receiving, they can start giving in return. I do not understand why there is anything wrong with making the factual statement that in anal sex the male is more likely to orgasm than the woman. A person who does not know anything about sex would not be aware of that, and I do not understand why it has been edited out. Someone please help me to understand.

Well - I can object here. During anal sex my wife has several orgasms, while I have only one. So if during several minutes she has 3 or 5 orgasms and I have only one, who is "morelikely to orgasm"?

psychological arse shagging

I placed this sentance in the pleasure section "The psychological associations involved in anal intercourse can not be emphasized enough, and as with all sexual practices, the mind functions as the primary sexual organ and basis behind the erotic pleasures."

replaced it with this "As with other forms of intercourse, psychological pleasure probably plays a significant role."

Frankly, while I distinctly prefer my own wording, both of them are unsatisfactory, and in fact I think the psychological signifigance of anal sex deserves it's own section in the article. Anyone who likes can comment, write their own sentance, sub-section, or whatever. I'd particularly like to hear from explodingboy as to what he disliked about my sentance, and liked better about his own. I suppose I might eventually have to write the afor mentioned subsection myself if nobody beats me to it ;) Sam Spade 13:40, 15 Feb 2004 (UTC)

I wasn't aware that we had to justify all small changes. If you must know I thought the sentence was a little awkward so I tried to make it sound a bit smoother. As I see it I didn't really alter the meaning, though I'm sure there are many who would disagree with your statement that the mind is the "primary sexual organ" (to begin with, physiologically, of course, that's untrue). Be that as it may, if you think there is enough to say about the psychological aspects of anal sex, by all means include a relevant section. I think it may be stretching it a bit to say it warrants an entire section (is there anything similar in other sex-related articles?), but I'll reserve judgement until I see it. Am I to take it your comments on the Featured Article page was directed at me? Exploding Boy 13:49, Feb 15, 2004 (UTC)

Nope, not unless you've changed your name. I took a glance at the page history, and the stuff I am generally refering to (see my comments at the top of the page) is well before your time on this page (assuming you didn't edit it as an anon). Anyhow, please don't take my objections personally. The goal is to make this an excellent page (perhaps even brilliant prose) rather than anything to do with particular editors. As far as "justifying small changes", you need only do that when someone (as I am doing here) takes issue w them. In this particular case, I am perfectly willing to let the subject digest whilst we we perfect the optimal way to describe the particulars. Sam Spade 14:06, 15 Feb 2004 (UTC)

Oh, ok. Not trying to take things personally, I'm just a bit gunshy at the moment, having been involved in some dispute with another poster. Carry on. Exploding Boy 14:08, Feb 15, 2004 (UTC)

musing or research or what?

' Among gay men who do enjoy anal sex, some reserve it only for committed relationships. '

I think this can be worded/expressed better. It doesn't come across as encyclopedic Sam Spade 08:37, 1 Apr 2004 (UTC)

1. If you think so, go ahead and reword it instead of removing it from the article. 2. Why not, exactly?

In the interim, I'm moving the sentence back to the article. Exploding Boy 08:41, Apr 1, 2004 (UTC)

Do you have any documentation? And is this common enought to warrant mention? How many is this some. Some isn't very many. Would you say many? How do we know? It doesn't strike me as particularly verifiable. Sam Spade 08:54, 1 Apr 2004 (UTC)

According to statistics gathered by AIDS organizations many gay men do not have anal sex outside of committed relationships. Will try to find some info if you like. Exploding Boy 08:56, Apr 1, 2004 (UTC)

That would be handy because I recently heard the opposite was true, that monogomy was rare amongst male homosexuals, thus asisting a rise in AIDS rates. Sam Spade 09:05, 1 Apr 2004 (UTC)

Well that's a common stereotype but regardless of its veracity monogamy is not the issue. Aside from the fact that not all gay men are into anal sex, gay men are apparently less likely to engage in anal sex during casual encounters for several reasons including: (1) some see anal sex as being the most intimate form of intercourse and they save it for committed relationships, (2) anal sex is high risk for the spread of STDs, and (3) anal sex is just messier and takes longer than oral/mutual masturbation, etc.

By the way, monogamy is not really the issue when it comes to rising rates of HIV infection. The issue is largely to do with unprotected sex. Exploding Boy 10:11, Apr 1, 2004 (UTC)

Anal sex among homosexuals

I really think this is a better section header than 'Anal sex among gays and lesbians' or whatever. Its simply more accurate, and besides, its shorter and looks better. Sam Spade 19:39, 4 Apr 2004 (UTC)

Anal Sex Yes (http://www.analsexyes.com/)

Whats wrong w this external link? I'm open to hearing valid objections, but I'll be returning it to the article if they are not promptly forthcoming. Sam Spade 21:15, 24 Apr 2004 (UTC)

For one thing the page it links to is rife with links to "hardcore anal sex" and the like. There are better pages out there if we need other links. Exploding Boy 06:42, Apr 25, 2004 (UTC)

I find that particularly unconvincing. Even were you supplying better links,this one seems fine w me. What have the secondary links got to do w it? Your cool w working on the anal sex page, but hardcore seems out of line as a secondary source external link? Sam Spade 06:52, 25 Apr 2004 (UTC)

Surprise, surprise. What possible reason is there to provide links to Hardcore Anal Sex Videos, Free Amateur Pics, Free Anal Pics, Free Anal Videos, Hardcore Anal Videos, and Hardcore Hentai Fucking? The page also has a link entitled "How to Eat Ass." If you want to provide an external link, find one that's more suitable. There are hundreds out there.

And I personally don't have an issue with those things, nor do I have an issue with sex-related topics, and yes, I've worked on this one and even nominated it as a Featured Article, but what encyclopaedia do you know that provides links to porn videos? PS: one other good reason I've just discovered is that clicking on one of those links on that page will trap you in a thousand-popup nightmare. That alone is reason enough not to use this link. Exploding Boy 07:00, Apr 25, 2004 (UTC)

I likewise dislike popups, and find that convincing ;) Its not my link anyways, some anon posted it and I decided to defend it, since I found it benificial. Sam Spade 07:10, 25 Apr 2004 (UTC)

"homosexuals" over "gays and lesbians"

Why is it that you prefer the term "homosexuals" over "gays and lesbians"? As for your question ("preferred by whom?"), please see the relevant pages on Wikipedia, starting with project:sexuality. Exploding Boy 08:13, Apr 27, 2004 (UTC)

I was being rhetorical w the question, I know of course who prefers that usage. Homosexual is shorter, more precise, and less POV. The term "gay" is quite POV, being supportive of what is thus portrayed to be a happy state of sexuality. Homosexual is neutral and specific, and thus more accurate and NPOV. Sam Spade 08:29, 27 Apr 2004 (UTC)

I think you're confusing non-neutral point of view with facts. We've had this discussion umpteen times: "homosexual" is neither more precise nor neutral nor specific than other terms, and as to it being shorter, that's totally irrelevant. The word "gay" is neutral in part in that it is preferred by those it describes.

As to your suggestion that homosexuality may not be "a happy state of sexuality," I'm afraid that the evidence is overwhelmingly against you, as has been demonstrated amply before.

The American Psychiatric Association (http://www.psych.org/) states that

     All major professional mental health organizations have gone on record
     to affirm that homosexuality is not a mental disorder. In 1973 the 
     American Psychiatric Association’s Board of Trustees removed 
     homosexuality from its official diagnostic manual, The Diagnostic and 
     Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Second Edition (DSM II). The 
     action was taken following a review of the scientific literature and 
     consultation with experts in the field. The experts found that 
     homosexuality does not meet the criteria to be considered a mental 
     illness.

In 1992, the American Psychiatric Association issued the following statement:

     Whereas homosexuality per se implies no impairment in judgement, 
     stability, reliability, or general social or vocational capabilities, 
     the American Psychiatric Association calls on all international health 
     organizations and individual psychiatrists in other countries, to urge 
     the repeal in their own country of legislation that penalized homosexual 
     acts by consenting adults in private. And further the APA calls on these 
     organizations and individuals to do all that is possible to decrease the 
     stigma related to homosexuality wherever and whenever it may occur.

According to the APA,

     For a mental condition to be considered a psychiatric disorder, it must 
     constitute dysfunction within an individual, cause present distress 
     (e.g., a painful symptom), disability (e.g., impairment in one or more 
     important areas of functioning), or a significantly increased risk of 
     suffering death, pain, disability, or an important loss of freedom. A 
     homosexual or bisexual individual may experience conflict with a
     homophobic society; however, such conflict is not a symptom of 
     dysfunction in the individual.

     The APA Board recognized that a significant portion of homosexual and 
     bisexual people were clearly satisfied with their sexual orientation and 
     showed no signs of psychopathology. It was also found that they were 
     able to function effectively in society, and that those who sought 
     treatment most often did so for reasons other than sexual orientation.

     Those who have integrated their sexual orientation into a positive
     sense of themselves function at a healthier psychological level than 
     those who have not (all of the above taken from the APA website).

So let's finally consider that Point Of View dealt with. Exploding Boy 08:51, Apr 27, 2004 (UTC)

I'm a psyche major, and am well aware of the current opinion on the subject, but thank you. I assume you notice the usage of "homosexual" rather than GLTG? Sam Spade 08:58, 27 Apr 2004 (UTC)

If you're a psych major you have even less excuse for trying to promote the point of view that gays and lesbians are somehow inherently unhappy. And please don't make me post a bunch of stuff on why "homosexual" is not the preferred term. You should know it already as a psych student and because it's been posted many, many times before (some of them for your benefit). Exploding Boy 09:11, Apr 27, 2004 (UTC)

I am going to avoid comment on the above slights, and rather redirect your attentions to my statement above, wherein I point out the POV nature of the term "gay". This term implies happiness. It is not an impartial term. Heterosexual is also an impartial term. "Stud" would not be. It implies a variety of things other than simply "heterosexual", much of them positive, and clearly few if any of them NPOV. "Gay" is similar in this way.

As to if I think homosexuals are happy or not, my POV isn't technically relevant, but I will humor you. As with all humans, homosexuals are variously happy, but I will tell you very briefly about 2 I have known very well, one happy, and one less so. Both of these gentlemen love and believe in God, and this is the deciding factor in their happiness. One was quite happy, because he believed as I do that it is not for men to judge a mans soul, but rather God who knows our hearts. He was a generally good person, and while as with all people he surely had variations of character, he seemed content in his relationship with God, and his status as a good person. I mention him in the past tense only because I have moved several times since I worked with him in Wisconsin. The other guy is a co-worker of mine right now. He doesn't strike me as very gay at all, altho he is by all accounts homosexual. He is a Pentecostal, from a very strict church. They don't allow members to wear shorts, women to wear makeup, and are generally judgmental. He told me that he feels terrible at church, guilty and ashamed. I told him that I felt his church was excessive in its rigidity, and made a big point of reinforcing to him just what the ONLY unforgivable sin is. Blaspheme of the Holy Spirit. By any account I am aware of (and I have studied religion lifelong with unflinching persistence :) this does not involve homosexuality, gay or otherwise :). Ones relationship with God is the root of true happiness in my eyes, not race, creed, sexuality or other nonessentials.

I pray that was helpful, and I will say in summary that "gay" takes a POV stand, and homosexual does not. Sam Spade 03:41, 28 Apr 2004 (UTC)

I interpret neutrality (NPOV) to mean wikipedia may not endorse any one term over others. I wouldn't, then, get rid of any one term, and try to use common terms that mean partially or wholly the same thing selecting the appropriate term for context. Hyacinth 06:15, 28 Apr 2004 (UTC)

My comments were not intended as slights, but I cannot understand your examples at all. They seem only to reinforce the view of the APA that it is not homosexuality itself that is the cause of distress among people of that sexual orientation, but rather the discrimination people suffer at the hands of others.

'Heterosexual' is a neutral term in a way that 'homosexual' is not. Stud can apply equally to gay or straight people and, in some circles, to men or women; it's not an equivalent term to 'gay.'

Your remarks lead me to believe that you do not have an understanding of the origins of the terms heterosexual, homosexual and gay. Exploding Boy 06:33, Apr 28, 2004 (UTC)

simplification

One thing is certain, you are not understanding me. Lets just focus on the matter at hand. Gay is POV. Homosexual is not. One is clinical, used in your APA example, the other isn't. I was never trying to say gay people are sad, I was trying to say that homosexual is a precise, unbiased clinical term, and "gay" isn't. There can be an article on gay, but it is a different article from homosexual. One is appropriate as an encyclopedia adjective, the other isn't. Sam Spade 06:39, 28 Apr 2004 (UTC)

Actually the APA says: "Lesbian and gay male are preferred to the word 'homosexual' when used as an adjective referring to specific persons or groups, and lesbians and gay men are preferred terms over 'homosexuals' used as a noun when referring to specific persons or groups. The word 'homosexual' has several problems of designation. First, it may perpetuate negative stereotypes because of its historical associations with pathology and criminal behavior. Second, it is ambiguous in reference because it is often assumed to refer exclusively to men and thus renders lesbians invisible. Third, it is often unclear."

"The terms 'gay male' and 'lesbian' refer primarily to identities and to the modern culture and communities that have developed among people who share those identities. They should be distinguished from sexual behavior. Some men and women have sex with others of their own gender but do not consider themselves to be gay or lesbian. In contrast, the terms 'heterosexual' and 'bisexual' currently are used to describe identity as well as behavior."

"The terms 'gay' as an adjective and 'gay persons' as a noun have been used to refer to both males and females. However, these terms may be ambiguous in reference since readers who are used to the term 'lesbian and gay' may assume that 'gay' refers to men only. Thus it is preferable to use 'gay' or 'gay persons' only when prior reference has specified the gender composition of this term."

"Such terms as 'gay male' are preferable to 'homosexuality' or 'male homosexuality' and so are grammatical reconstructions (e.g., 'his colleagues knew he was gay' rather than 'his colleagues knew about his homosexuality'). The same is true for 'lesbian' over 'female homosexual', 'female homosexuality', or 'lesbianism.'"

"Same-gender behavior, male-male behavior, and female-female behavior are appropriate terms for specific instances of same-gender sexual behavior that people engage in regardless of their sexual orientation (e.g., a married heterosexual man who once had a same-gender sexual encounter). Likewise, it is useful that women and men not be considered 'opposites' (as in 'opposite sex') to avoid polarization, and that heterosexual women and men not be viewed as opposite to lesbians and gay men. Thus, male-female behavior is preferred to the term "opposite sex behavior" in referring to specific instances of other-gender sexual behavior that people engage in regardless of their sexual orientation."

"When referring to sexual behavior that cannot be described as heterosexual, gay, lesbian, or bisexual, special care needs to be taken. Descriptions of sexual behavior among animal species should be termed 'male-male sexual behavior" or 'male-female sexual behavior' rather than 'homosexual behavior' or 'heterosexual behavior,' respectively."

• Avoiding Heterosexual Bias in Language by Committee on Lesbian and Gay Concern, American Psychological Association - http://www.apastyle.org/sexuality.html

Hyacinth 07:50, 28 Apr 2004 (UTC)

Sam Spade wrote: "Gay is POV. Homosexual is not. One is clinical, used in your APA example, the other isn't. I was never trying to say gay people are sad, I was trying to say that homosexual is a precise, unbiased clinical term, and "gay" isn't."

Actually, you've got it exactly backwards. Homosexual is the biased, non-NPOV term. It is exactly the clinical nature of the term, which was coined to describe what was considered a pathology, that people object to. Not only that, but it's frequently inaccurate as well. And actually, both terms are imprecise. The point of using neutral terminology is that we allow people to call themselves what they want to be called, and we don't use terms that people object to. Exploding Boy 08:09, Apr 28, 2004 (UTC)

Encyclopedias are not about what people want to be called, but rather what is technically correct. Sam Spade 19:29, 28 Apr 2004 (UTC)

If you define technical as "specialist" and "scientific" (as opposed to the colloquial sense of "actually") and exclude all else, then you are not being neutral:

• "In particular, the policy does not say that there even is such a thing as objectivity, a "view from nowhere" (in Thomas Nagel's phrase)--such that articles written from that point of view are consequently objectively true. That isn't the policy and it is not our aim! Rather, we employ a different understanding of "neutral" and "unbiased" than many might be used to. The policy is simply that we should characterize disputes rather than engage in them." from NPOV#Objections_and_clarifications

One word can't be chosen above all others. Hyacinth 20:33, 28 Apr 2004 (UTC)

See my comments on "oriental." "Homosexual" is not "technically correct" and "gay" is not "techcnically incorrect." Exploding Boy 23:48, Apr 28, 2004 (UTC)

Pregnancy

I have sometimes heard rumors and stories about women who become pregnant after anal intercourse, bizarre though it may seem. Frankly, I dont see how such a thing is even possible given the sheer mechanics of it, but I figured I'd bring it up just to see how people respond. I havent added anything to this affect to the article itself; I thought I'd bring it to discussion first simply because I dont really believe it myself. --Oceanhahn 07:07, 12 Sep 2004 (UTC)

I am no expert, but I would assume it is possible for semen to spill during/after anal intercourse, and thus enter the vagina, especially if the woman is face down. This could more easily happen if the woman engages in further sexual activities after anal intercourse. One could imagine the use of a dildo/vibrator would facilitate this. The instrument if insertion does not matter, if for example a guy fingers a girl after masturbating himself, she may get pregnant. I do not think that semen in the rectum can in any way make a woman pregnant directly.--MaxMad 09:56, 23 Sep 2004 (UTC)

I know a horrible joke regarding this, which probably isn't relevant. The punchline is "thats where police officers come from". I don't endorse annoying the police in anyway, btw. Sam [Spade (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=User_talk:Sam_Spade&section=new)] 21:16, 11 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Erm... well... To be honest it seems like my son was born due to such incident. Me and my wife don't remember having any vaginal sex during the conception window.

Removed from article

" However, current studies indicate that anal sex is still the primary sexual outlet for gay men; even with unknown partners. Experts cite this as the reason for the recent steady increase in AIDS cases among the gay community. "

I'd like to see some evidence for these claims, in particular that in the first sentence. Exploding Boy 18:30, Oct 11, 2004 (UTC)

Unresolved objections

The top of this talk page says: "This article was a featured article candidate with unresolved objections. Please help to resolve these objections so the article can be re-nominated and featured." Here are a few things this article would need, in my opinion, before it reached "featured article" status.

1. Images. All featured articles have appropriate and informative pictures. I've heard it rumored that one can find images relating to this topic on the internet, though I wouldn't know, myself.
2. External links. There might possibly be a site or two devoted to this topic on the internet.

– Quadell ^{(talk) (help)}[[]] 03:13, Nov 18, 2004 (UTC)

I would personally be strongly in favor of no pictures at all. You surely mean that all featured articles up to now always had appropriate and informative pictures. Note that having a picture is not a demand for becoming a featured article, and frankly, I think this is a good test case. In particular, a picture of anal intercourse would not add anything, unless you expect people to be unfamiliar with the anus (in which case, see there).

One thing I still miss is a brief recap of what the term ethnonym means. You can't just toss around linguistic terms like this in a non-linguistic article; at the very least give a Wiktionary link. JRM 18:29, 2004 Dec 8 (UTC)

Come on, JRM, there are other images besides this one that would be relevant. :) For example, we can include a chart, a book cover, a photo of some gay rights activist, a cartoon, a screenshot of some relevant law, etc. It doesn't have to show hot male-on-male action. BTW, what do you think about that famous Flash with "I AM LOOKING AT GAY PORNO!!!" sound? :) Paranoid 22:36, 14 Dec 2004 (UTC)

creeping bias

This is the first article I ever edited on the wiki (actually this talk page was my very first edit). What inspired me to begin editing was the overiding bias against female receptive anal sex. This bias recently returned, and I assume it will probably continue to reoccur. I find this unfortunate, and would request assitsance and understanding from other editers regarding this circumstance. (Sam_Spade | talk | contributions) 17:16, 31 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Cripes, cite a study or something objective, don't just keep emphasizing your POV that girls don't like to take it in the can. (Sam_Spade | talk | contributions) 16:55, 8 Jan 2005 (UTC)

questions that need to be cleared up

a few initial questions...

1. in my circles, the use of sex toys and other activities involving the anus and rectum is referred to as anal play, not anal sex. anal sex, as far as i've known, must involve a penis.
2. "Anal sex remains taboo in some cultures..." isn't it many cultures?
3. "particularly in older works..." older works? does this mean old poems? old laws? old plays? please elaborate.

more to come later, Kingturtle 17:27, 31 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Depth issue

The article mentions: "Additionally, nothing longer than eight inches (20 cm) -- be it a penis, a vibrator, or anything else -- should be inserted into the rectum. Objects exceeding eight inches risk colliding with the sigmoid colon, the lining of which is probably not much stronger than a wet paper towel, and trauma can result in internal bleeding with potentially fatal results."

When I saw the passage above, I looked up the fisting article, which mentions nothing of the sort. How accurate is the claim of the eight inches (20cm)? Isn't it safe to do this with some progressive practicing? Some people do it and seem happy with it. Eje211 01:41, 11 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Overview

Is really the part about "sodomy" in USA needed as a part of "Overview"? I don't feel it's general enough to be there. Maybe if we had a section on "Anal sex and totalitarism" it would be more appropriate, with examples of anal sex ban in other countries?