Tim Fisher analyzed a number of studies regarding promiscuity rates among gay and straight men and conducted his own research and found similar rates of promiscuity between gay and straight men. The average number of sexual partners for gay men was 6 (compared to an average of 5 for straight men). Below I have reproduced some of Fisher’s very interesting 2006 article. The whole article can be found here.
Number of partners in last five years (expressed in % of N)
| sex of partners | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5–10 | 11–20 | 20–100 | 100+ | 1+ DK # | |
| Exclusively Male | 0 | 12.0 | 8.0 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 19.2 | 14.4 | 14.4 | 4.0 | 2.4 | N= 125 |
| Exclusively Female | 0 | 17.8 | 14.2 | 14.4 | 14.4 | 23.3 | 9.3 | 5.1 | 0.4 | 0.7 | N= 1,903 |
[All study participants were divorced, separated or never married].
As you can see, the gay men’s statistics track fairly closely with the straight men’s—up to a point. Where we see a significant discrepancy is at the very high levels of promiscuity (i.e. 20–100, and over 100 partners). This finding corroborates other surveys I’ve seen.
My conclusion, then, is that (according to the GSS data) there is a segment of gay men (roughly 13% of the total of gay men) who are promiscuous to a degree that straight men are not. That is, 87% of gay men display levels of promiscuity that are parallel to those of unmarried straight men.
In my view, the fact of this 13% is of grave concern. Our society needs to address this problem. But I don’t feel this 13% should persuade the church that a gay man (or, for that matter, a lesbian woman) who enters into a committed, loving relationship should be excluded from ordination and blessings on account of that relationship.
To make a racial comparison, I note (according to the General Social Survey: GSS) that among black, never-married, straight men, 31.6% have had 11 or more partners in the last five years. Of white, never-married, straight men, the statistic is 15.5 %. The difference between black and white men on this measure is almost identical to the difference between gay men and unmarried straight men (of all races). So, should the church hesitate to ordain black, unmarried men?
