Study: 93% of straight men have ‘cuddled with another guy’

Some 93% of young British heterosexual males have “cuddled with” another man, according to a new survey.

The survey, published in the academic journal Men and Masculinities, had an admittedly small sample size of 40 straight guys – all of whom were undergraduates taking a sports sociology class at the University of Winchester.

The survey was conducted by a pair of British sociologists, Eric Anderson of the University of Winchester and Mark McCormack of Durham University, and the latter has said he believes their findings could point to a more relaxed attitude towards homosexuality among today’s generation of straight males.

“The social taboo against cuddling has been because for two men to get close was traditionally seen as ‘gay’.  Men wanted to avoid being the target of homophobic abuse, so they would be macho to distance themselves from being seen as gay,” McCormack told told The Huffington Post.

“But there is a generational effect here: Men who grew up in the 80’s still feel the need to present a very masculine version of themselves, but more positive attitudes toward homosexuality nowadays mean that younger men are less concerned about how other people view their behaviours.”

McCormack also added: “Homophobia hasn’t disappeared, but straight men today are not expected to be homophobic like they were in the 1980s and 1990s. This enables them to be [engaged] in softer gendered behaviours – they can cuddle and hug, wear fashionable clothes, care about looking good, and openly declare love for their friends.”

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