A Tiger Never Changes His Spots?
A New Survey Reveals What Gay and Bisexual Men Really Think About Infidelity
Whilst the media whirlwind surrounding Tiger Woods’ series of encounters outside of his marriage transforms into a full-scale hurricane, a recent survey conducted by free gay chat website ManCentral.com highlights how gay men feel about cheaters.
In general, 41% of those surveyed believed that people make mistakes and were willing to forgive and forget. In contrast, 40% live by the age old mantra ‘Once a cheat, always a cheat’. Though the results indicate a relatively even divide between the two camps, there was marked difference in opinion between the ages.
Those aged 18-24 appear to be more liberal in their attitudes towards cheating with only 34% of them refusing to believe a leopard could change his spots. This stance gradually gains support through the age groups until it peaks at 54% of those aged 61 and above. The trend appears in reverse for those who accept that people make mistakes, with 46% of those aged 18-24 believing mistakes happen, compared to only 24% of those aged 61 and above.
So are the youngsters more promiscuous, or are the older generations clinging onto the fading utopian ideal of monogamy?
Strange as it may seem, 20% of gay couples argue that it is only cheating if you get caught whilst a further 22% of married gay men adopt the same view. It is worth noting that men who describe themselves as 'married' are largely married to women; consequently this may affect their perception of cheating if it is with someone outside of their dominant sexual preference.
Well, it would appear that Tiger may take comfort in the support from the gay community and sight the words of a few members of Man Central in his apology to his wife Elin Nordegren: One member suggests, “It depends on how you are defining [the word] ‘cheat’”. In an intriguing first for a survey on Man Central, one member offers his questionably professional opinion:
“A cheat is usually the result of an unhappy relationship […] Of course there are people who always cheat. This can be solved by personally therapy, and is generally related to upbringing. It’s a complicated issue, but one that can only be solved by philosophy and psychology.”
We’ll be sure to send Tiger our copy of Psychology and Philosophy for Dummies straight away.
Additional breakdowns revealed:
- 44% of gay men responded 'Definitely' compared to 32% of Bisexual and 28% of Curious men.
- Men in Aberdeen are more likely to forgive, with 83% citing mistakes happen.
- Cheats should steer clear of Edinburgh with only 13% willing to forgive and forget.
- 'Large' men (52%) are more than twice as likely to ditch a cheat than 'Very Slim' guys (21%).
ManCentral.com polled 1,998 members over a 24 hour period. Detailed statistics & breakdowns available on request.