Announcement to include Breedingzone in a research study on gay men and barebacking

[bbckresearch]

Dear members of Breedingzone forums:

My name is Emerich Daroya and I am a PhD candidate at the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health & Society (ARCSHS) at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.

My doctoral dissertation explores how gay and other homosexually active men discuss issues surrounding sex-without-condoms in online settings. As a gay man interested in barebacking subcultures, my research aims to move away from the judgemental assumptions about the practice to explore how men describe and understand barebacking in interaction with other men online. I am particularly interested in how men in the forums perceive scientific, legal and moral ideas about condom use and balance these with their preferences for condomless sex.

With the kind permission of rawTOP, I am writing to inform you that I am conducting a study of the discussion boards of this website. The research will involve observing and collecting text and visual data from the discussion boards (such as forum threads and advertising images, but not content or images from individual profiles) over a period of three months. I will also ask questions in the discussion boards about members' thoughts about barebacking.

While members of the forums may not receive any direct benefit from this research, I believe analysis of the message boards will provide new insights into how gay and other homosexually active men think about and discuss barebacking.I can assure you that I will protect the privacy of the website, its members and moderators by ensuring that all identifying information is kept confidential.

Please click on this link to a participant information sheet which provides further information about myself and the study. A pdf copy is also attached with this message. If you have any questions about any aspect of the project, please do not hesitate to send me a message.

If you would prefer for any part of your interaction on the website not to be used as data in the project, you may choose to withdraw by contacting me via a private message or email to let me know.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Emerich Daroya

edaroya@students.latrobe.edu.au

Project Supervisors:

Professor Gary Dowsett: g.dowsett@latrobe.edu.au

Dr. Duane Duncan: d.duncan@latrobe.edu.au

Dr. Steven Angelides: s.angelides@latrobe.edu.au

Participant Information Sheet forums.pdf

[AlwaysOpen]

Hey RawTop- while this man says he has your permission, maybe adding a note from you here would allay the many concerns the men of the BZ will undoubtedly have.

[Btm!]

I hope whatever study uses this site for examples and observation notes that this is a website which depicts an extreme fetish. The men here are sharing ideals of the most extreme taboo and fantasy - and that this is not at all exclusive to gay men , nor is it representative of "typical" gay men.

I'm uneasy with the idea that anyone who doesn't use a condom is a bugchaser, or that most gay men want STD's and AIDS and are into stealthing, that somebody might get from this site. This site is less about barebacking, and more about the most extreme taboo fetish.

I also believe that - for quite a number of people on here - what they write about, and how they feel/behave in reality, is very very different.

[rawTOP]

Hey RawTop- while this man says he has your permission, maybe adding a note from you here would allay the many concerns the men of the BZ will undoubtedly have.

Yes, this guy is legit. I've seen quite a bit of his documentation. He's a PhD candidate and will be working with faculty advisers on the research. His research has passed, and will continue to be subject to the "human subjects review" policies at his university. Those policies are actually stricter than I'd like - I wanted his research to mention the name of the site, but he has to use a pseudonym for the site. But beyond that, his approach to our community is one which is generally sympathetic.

There was another PhD candidate who finished his study a few months ago. I saw the final paper and it was pretty good. Among other things, his paper refuted the claims by some researchers that bug chasing is simply a form of self-harm. And there's an advanced undergrad from The University of Chicago who will be starting research soon as well. Normally I wouldn't allow undergrads on the site to do research, but what he's doing is proper research, not just a class paper - he has a faculty adviser overseeing his work, he's passed human subjects review, etc.

Ultimately when serious researchers come onto the site we're understood in a more realistic, sympathetic light. Instead of being seen as freaks we're seen as regular people with regular issues. That eventually trickles down to how your doctors treat you when you go in for STD tests, etc. So research is a good thing.

That said, I've learned my lesson and journalists are generally not allowed on the site. Journalists are looking for sensationalist headlines - that's not what we need.

[AlwaysOpen]

Sounds good enough for me- I often see those disclaimers on peoples profiles and have wondered what they were really thinking- everything on the internet is fair game and anyone could find their posts and profiles if they wanted to. I have long ago come to the conclusion if someone reads my posts and knows its me, maybe I will get some extra cock out of it <g>

[Ranger Rick]

I am curious; since so much of this site is obviously fantasy, how will that aspect be incorporated in the research?

[PhoenixGeoff]

Perhaps as "payment" for our participation in these studies, could we have a copy of results posted here?

That would serve two purposes: first to satisfy our general curiosity and second to help reassure everyone here that this research is legit.

[headnurse20]

I would actually like to read his research when it is completed. It really sounds interesting!

[AlwaysOpen]

I am curious; since so much of this site is obviously fantasy, how will that aspect be incorporated in the research?

What??? Oh Ranger Rick- say it ain't so. I thought I had finally found other guys who do all the things I do on a regular basis , at least HAVE done in the past!! You mean some of the guys on here have not actually done what they write?? Awww, shit!!! LOL

[bbckresearch]

Hi guys, thanks very much for responding to this.

Btm! I definitely share your concerns. As I am coming from more of a cultural studies perspective, my interest is more on the cultural aspects that are going on in this website, rather than seeking a simplistic explanation of barebacking. My approach is to 'complicate' it in order to blur the lines of what are considered 'good' and 'bad' in sex (barebacking complicates a lot of things we take for granted about sex) and also to challenge a lot of research that's already been done on barebacking: namely, seeking explanations as to why gay and other homosexually active men do it.

Having said that, the fantasies that are talked about here will be treated as what it is: just fantasy. But, these fantasies are an important part of culture being generated here. I haven't completely figured out what I'm gonna do with them yet. I obviously still have a lot of learning to do and a lot more time to be spent in the forums.

MascMountainMan, yes most definitely! But the results are gonna take a while, so please be patient. Of course, any publications resulting out of this research will be announced/posted on the website. Afterall, you guys are doing me a favour and it's the least I could do as an 'exchange' for your help Anyway, if there are any more questions/concerns please don't hesitate to ask away!

[BBCockTaker]

I am concerned about the number of university research projects of Antipodean origin strafing gay chat sites for material. I have seen at least four different sites where disclaimers have been posted because of this 'invasion' of our 'private' meeting space.

I would hate to think these research projects are the equivalent of tawdry reality TV shows where a ready audience of voyeurs live out their fantasies.

From RawTop's comments, it appears there have been a number of researchers seeking access, one wonders how many are conducting their research unethically and by stealth. Then much as there is a vested interest to popularise this site, by having it named in the final document, we should be careful that such information can really go public and then a media feeding frenzy will set in.

Finally, we do not need an authoritative academic report to validate what we as adults have chosen to practice and enjoy in our pursuit of happiness and whatever inspires us.

The best analogy I can make is this - How much fun is someone bringing a flashlight into a darkroom?

[kinkygradstudent]

Sounds like a fascinating study. Look fo rward to reading it!

[rawTOP]

I am concerned about the number of university research projects of Antipodean origin strafing gay chat sites for material. I have seen at least four different sites where disclaimers have been posted because of this 'invasion' of our 'private' meeting space.

I would hate to think these research projects are the equivalent of tawdry reality TV shows where a ready audience of voyeurs live out their fantasies.

From RawTop's comments, it appears there have been a number of researchers seeking access, one wonders how many are conducting their research unethically and by stealth. Then much as there is a vested interest to popularise this site, by having it named in the final document, we should be careful that such information can really go public and then a media feeding frenzy will set in.

Finally, we do not need an authoritative academic report to validate what we as adults have chosen to practice and enjoy in our pursuit of happiness and whatever inspires us.

The best analogy I can make is this - How much fun is someone bringing a flashlight into a darkroom?

This site is not a "private meeting space" - it's a public website. Certain areas are members only, but membership is free to anyone. You have no expectation of privacy here - that's why people use pseudonyms.

Academic research is not the equivalent of reality TV shows. I dropped out of a PhD program in sociology many years ago. I've seen what real research is like and I'm qualified to judge whether people are for real.

A flashlight in the backroom is not a good analogy. A better one is not being called a pervert as you walk down the street. Would you like fewer laws restricting the sexual activity of consenting adults? (We have no decent bathhouses in NYC thanks to laws like that). Do you want there to be a defense against the anti-bareback laws that are being passed in California? You need respected researchers to do the studies and then stand up and be counted. Their opinion carries a lot more weight than your opinion or mine. It's a good thing when people like that really understand our community.

[headnurse20]

This site is not a "private meeting space" - it's a public website. Certain areas are members only, but membership is free to anyone. You have no expectation of privacy here - that's why people use pseudonyms.

Academic research is not the equivalent of reality TV shows. I dropped out of a PhD program in sociology many years ago. I've seen what real research is like and I'm qualified to judge whether people are for real.

A flashlight in the backroom is not a good analogy. A better one is not being called a pervert as you walk down the street. Would you like fewer laws restricting the sexual activity of consenting adults? (We have no decent bathhouses in NYC thanks to laws like that). Do you want there to be a defense against the anti-bareback laws that are being passed in California? You need respected researchers to do the studies and then stand up and be counted. Their opinion carries a lot more weight than your opinion or mine. It's a good thing when people like that really understand our community.

OMG! I could not have said it better rawTOP! Let's not fear the research! Lets embrace it!

[bearbandit]

Absolute agreement here too. As barebackers we get a bad enough press as it is, even though we know we're making a rational choice, something I hope to get over at the London sex helplines training I talk about in another thread here. We should be seizing every opportunity to have our choices recognised as valid and adding to our quality of life.