Similar Faces of Same-Sex Sexual Behavior: A Comparative Ethnographical Study in Brazil, Turkey, and Thailand

Abstract

This is a cross-cultural ethnographical description of same-sex sexual behavior of male sexuality among slums dwellers (working class) and university students (middle class) in three cities: Florianópolis (Brazil), Istanbul (Turkey), and Bangkok (Thailand). The main goal of this study is to describe the similar aspects and issues of homosexual ghettos in urban environments of developing countries where two basic same-sex systems stand side by side: the “bugger system” and the “gay system.” This survey compares the same-sex sexual behavior and self-declared sexual-identity of those who practice same-sex, opposite-sex, and both-sex behaviors. The quantitative data from this study simply confirms other studies showing commonalities in terms of gender orientation among people who consider themselves homosexuals and those who consider themselves heterosexuals using the Kinsey Scale.

KEYWORDS:

• sexuality
• homosexuality
• gay identity
• same-sex behavior
• working class
• professional class
• Turkey
• Brazil
• Thailand