Sexual assault trend ‘stealthing’ is ‘rampant’ in gay community
“Stealthing” is a disturbing new form of sexual assault which sees the perpetrator remove a condom before or during sex without consent.
In recent weeks a number of people have spoken out about being victims of the attack, which has been deemed a “symbol” of male dominance.
The violating trend was revealed in the Columbia Journal of Gender and Law and has been labelled not only a form of sexual assault, but also as gender-based violence.
While the act directly targets women, it is also affecting gay men – with some saying that the trend is “rampant” in the LGBT community.
One gay man from America, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed that he had experienced the assault multiple times.
Identified only as Adam, the Connecticut man wanted to raise awareness about “steal thing” as he has lived through “several epidemics” within the gay community.
“If stealthing is prevalent in the heterosexual community then I’m telling you it’s rampant in the homosexual community,” he told the Mirror.
Adam explained that the form of assault is not something he has experienced recently, but has done in the past.
He said: “Having zero concern about this, being a gay man being in a monogamous relationship for over 10 years, I can only reference point of view from years earlier.
“People never speak of the rules/positions of a gay lifestyle. Let’s stick to the main three: top, bottom and versatile. Yes, there’s a few more.”
For Adam, he felt that he was “putting his life” into others hands because you cannot always see the condom.
Adam explained: “Visually keeping your eye on the condom is not always the easiest thing with two men.
“I cannot tell you how petrified I was meeting up with someone that you could well be putting you life in their hands.
“There was more than a few times I caught or suspected the other person trying to remove the condom,” he added.
Adam hopes that his “words may be able to save a life”, because some of his friends had experienced a similar thing to him – but they did not know about the terminology prior to the recent report.
He stressed: “Now it’s been given a name but we need to reach the youth and advise them it’s happening behind their backs without their knowledge. Take the pun for what it is.”
