# 'Homosexual' v. 'Homoerotic'. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 16, 2013, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homosexual-v-homoerotic/671381 "2013-10-16T07:00:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![JR\_Brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homosexual-v-homoerotic/671381/21 "2013-10-18T21:42:16Z")
Homosexual = sexual orientation to, or sexual behavior with, members of the same sex. Homoerotic = suggesting or implying a sexualized response between persons of the same sex, or between the viewer/consumer and an image of, or performance by, a person of the same sex, regardless of the actual sexual orientation or sexual behavior of the person(s) involved. Fr’instance, fashion ads in women’s magazines are often interpreted as homoerotic, because they feature sexualized images of women for the consumption of other women, and (as mentioned upthread) wrestling is likewise commonly interpreted as homoerotic because it features men watching semi-naked dudes grappling each other, even though most women who read fashion magazines and most men who watch wrestling are heterosexual and do not desire actual sexual contact with the models / wrestlers. > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Is there a cross-gender equivalent of homoerotic? A term for describing things which appeal sexually to lesbians or latent lesbians? Obviously our society is overwhelmed with depictions of women as sex objects but presumably most of these are aimed at a straight male audience. Same word; “homoerotic” works both ways. > [@robert\_columbia](#): > > I knew women in college who claimed to be turned on by gay men getting it on. No, I didn’t perform any scientific measurements on this. Super common. See [slash fiction](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slash_fiction) and [yaoi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaoi), both genres focusing on male-male pairings but made for (and predominantly by) women. ---
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homosexual-v-homoerotic/671381/22 "2013-10-18T23:06:15Z")
**Homosexual** vs **Homoerotic**. Two men enter, one man leaves. Or, to be more explanatory: [Two men enter one man.](http://use.your.imagination)[Leaves](http://www.academia.edu/1570057/Walt_Whitman_Homoeroticism_in_Leaves_of_Grass). ---
**Author:** ![RichieBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b5e925/32.png) [@RichieBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RichieBoy)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homosexual-v-homoerotic/671381/23 "2014-01-19T17:44:00Z")
I have a male cousin who is my age. We have always been close. I have always had strong sexual feelings about him and for some reason I think he has them about me to but we have never made a move or ever said anything. When we get together for a visit we always kiss when we greet each other and our handshake is long and yes sensual. A couple of time we have had our picture taken together standing side by side. At first we gently put our hands on each others shoulder but just before the picture is taken our hands seem to slide down where his hand is squarely on my ass and my hand is also squarely on his ass. I think we both know what’s happening but we are each waiting for the other to make the first move. This has happened many times in front of family members at different events from weddings to funerals. Is this a Homosexual thing or a Homoerotic thing and does anyone think that other family members notice? ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homosexual-v-homoerotic/671381/24 "2014-01-19T22:40:52Z")
That is more a question for the In My Humble Opinion forum than this one. There really is no specific answer to your questions RichieBoy. ---
**Author:** ![RichieBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b5e925/32.png) [@RichieBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RichieBoy)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homosexual-v-homoerotic/671381/25 "2014-01-19T23:56:15Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > I knew women in college who claimed to be turned on by gay men getting it on. No, I didn’t perform any scientific measurements on this. Me and a bud used to do a 3 some with this gal and she would love watching my bud and I get it on and that really turned her on. No scientific measurements needed! ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homosexual-v-homoerotic/671381/26 "2014-01-20T00:13:24Z")
Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards, **RichieBoy** , we’re glad you found us. This particular forum is dedicated to questions that have factual answers. You’ve raised a personal situation for which you’re seeking input; my suggestion is that you start a new thread and repost your situation in the forum called “MPSIMS” which is dedicated to discussions of personal issues. You’ll get more and better response. Here, it’s a digression in a thread about a specific topic (word meaning.) OK? ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homosexual-v-homoerotic/671381/27 "2014-01-20T00:18:22Z")
Well whenever someone mocks football/wrestling/action flicks for being “homoerotic”, they really don’t mean they want to have sex with each other. It’s more women don’t have a role in their world. It’s a lot like pre-puberty boys; the reason they don’t want to hang around girls is that girls will “soften” them or can’t have the depth of friendships that boys can have with each other. ---
**Author:** ![RichieBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b5e925/32.png) [@RichieBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RichieBoy)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homosexual-v-homoerotic/671381/28 "2014-01-20T00:29:37Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards, **RichieBoy** , we’re glad you found us. This particular forum is dedicated to questions that have factual answers. You’ve raised a personal situation for which you’re seeking input; my suggestion is that you start a new thread and repost your situation in the forum called “MPSIMS” which is dedicated to discussions of personal issues. You’ll get more and better response. Here, it’s a digression in a thread about a specific topic (word meaning.) OK? Thank You Dexter ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homosexual-v-homoerotic/671381/29 "2014-01-20T00:34:44Z")
Lots of good answers above. I’ll add my opinion: Homosexual describes the nature of the participants. Homoerotic describes the reaction of the observers. ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homosexual-v-homoerotic/671381/30 "2014-01-20T16:30:31Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Same as the difference between “sexual” and “erotic”. Bingo. (As an adjective, that is, but homoerotic is not a noun.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homosexual-v-homoerotic/671381.md?page=1)