Sexual fluidity, BDSM and gender: an exploratory study on Portuguese BDSM practitioners

BDSM constitutes a stigmatized form of sexuality in which sexual fluidity may arise. Noting the scarcity of research on these themes in Portugal, we sought to explore and understand sexual fluidity in people who identified themselves as BDSM practitioners, both in the context of so-called ‘vanilla’ sex and BDSM practice. Using a qualitative methodology, we prepared an online questionnaire disseminated on platforms used by BDSM practitioners, having obtained 54 participants. The data were subjected to content analysis and simple statistical analysis. Three themes emerged from the analysis: the importance of gender in both forms of sexuality, the perception and knowledge about sexual fluidity, and the experience of sexual fluidity. It was found that BDSM practitioners are relatively sexually fluid and demonstrate various sexual behaviors discordant with their romantic and sexual attractions. In addition to this, there were multiple justifications regarding the importance of gender when it comes to their attractions. It was also found that men, regardless of sexual identity, are more sexually fluid than women. This study contributes to the knowledge about BDSM and the deconstruction of categories related to gender and sexual identity, and finally, to the normalization of non-normative sexual practices. Keywords BDSM · Sexual fluidity · Sexuality · Qualitative method · Vanilla sex