ABSTRACT
Most people learn to tune their anal part of their bodies out, to not pay attention to it, to ignore it. While people of any gender can learn to dissociate from their asses, heterosexual men are especially prone to it because of the cultural and personal associations they commonly have around the pelvis and the anus. In many parts of the gay community, there is a privilege or status that accrues to tops that parallels the male privilege in the larger heterosexual world. Whatever someone's sexual orientation, anal play can create an opportunity to look at some of the attitudes and beliefs about gender and sexuality that many of us carry. Whatever the situation, when men and their partners discover anal and prostate pleasure, it often inspires them to rethink what sex means to them. Pleasure can be one of the most healing experiences we have, especially when it comes to our sexuality and sexual identity.
