Gloryhole
A gloryhole (also spelled gloryhole and glory-hole) is a hole in a wall, or other partition, often between public lavatory stalls or adult video arcade booths for people to engage in sexual activity or observe the person in the next cubicle while one or both parties masturbate. The partition maintains anonymity. Body parts including fingers, tongue, and penis may be used for anonymous oral, vaginal and/or anal intercourse. Erotic literature and pornographic films have been devoted to the sexual uses of gloryholes.
Method of use
A 'gloryhole' is usually a waist high hole drilled, punched or filed in a wall between stalls in a public restroom or adult bookstore peepshow; through this hole one man will insert his penis for oral sex. Usually it is the centralized location which facilitates impersonal, anonymous sex, rather than the structural feature of the setting itself.
To use a gloryhole a man puts his finger through the hole to indicate interest in sexual activity. Offering a condom indicates interest in protected sex. If the other party is also interested, he will accept the offer and put his penis through the hole to be serviced. The most common activity is oral sex, and to a lesser extent anal intercourse, a handjob, or vaginal intercourse. Glory holes are today most commonly found in established adult video/bookstore arcades, sex clubs, gay bathhouses, and adult theaters.
If a gloryhole is to be found between two booths in a video booth at an adult bookstore, the person who wishes to perform oral sex will normally be seated in a booth. The seated (and sometimes kneeling) position commonly signals to others that they are there in order to perform oral sex - which allows those who wish to receive oral sex to take the adjoining booth. That second person will normally remain standing.
Motivations
Numerous motivations can be ascribed to the use and eroticism of gloryholes. For some, the sheer anonymity is itself arousing. For others, it can serve as a way to have intimacy without a prolonged relationship, or to ensure sexual compatibility before further pursuing a relationship. Utilizing a gloryhole is also an easy way to mitigate any perceived physical shortcomings like being overweight or somehow less physically attractive. One social theorist has described the attraction of this form of sexual encounter thus: "The ultimate sexual objectification of gay male sexual encounters is the gloryhole in public toilets. As a wall separates the two participants, they have no contact except for a mouth, a penis, and perhaps a hand. Almost total anonymity is maintained as no other attributes are taken into consideration." The gloryhole is seen as an iconic erotic oasis in gay subcultures around the world; people's motivations, experiences and attributions of value in its use are varied.
In light of the ongoing AIDS pandemic, many gay men are re-evaluating their sexual and erotic desires and practices. Glory holes allow for a physical barrier, which may be an extension of psychological ones where internalized homophobia (a result of many societies' widespread abhorrence of LGBT practices and people). For some gay men, a gloryhole serves to depersonalize their partner altogether as a disembodied object of sexual desire, either sticking through or on the other side of the hole. These motivations might well be considered characteristically male motivations, as opposed to specifically gay and/or bisexual men's motives.
Legal and health concerns
Public sex of any kind is illegal in many parts of the world; and police undercover operations continue to be used in order to enforce such laws. Adverse personal consequences to participants in gloryhole activity have included police surveillance, public humiliation in the press, and criminal convictions. Gay bashing, mugging, and bodily injury are further potential risks. For reasons of personal safety, as well as etiquette, men typically wait for a signal from the receptive partner to come through the hole before inserting any part of their genitals through a gloryhole.
In addition to safety and legal risks, there is a heightened risk of sexually transmitted diseasea associated with having sex with infected partners. This risk can be reduced through the use of condoms, although their use in gloryhole activity is not common.
See also
- Cottaging - term referring to anonymous male-male sex in a public lavatory
- Dogging (sexual slang)
- Gay bathhouse
- Gay beat
- Gay cruising in the United Kingdom
- Polari
- Troll (gay slang)
External links
- A Sex Stop on the Way Home by Corey Kilgannon, New York Times, September 21, 2005
- The Little Black Book: This one can keep you out of trouble, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund; archived copy, pdf format, archived here. An article regarding legal issues of sex in public restrooms.
- non profit cruising guide( gloryholes restrooms ) based on google maps
- More information is available at [ Wikipedia:Gloryhole ]
| Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) slang |
|---|
| Polari • Lavender linguistics • LGBT Terms • Terminology of homosexuality • Roles and Functions |
Chat rooms • What links here • Copyright info • Contact information • Category:Root