A pole new world: Maneuvering masculinity and sexuality among men who pole dance

Abstract

Research on cisgender men's experiences in feminized or women‐dominated sports, physical activities, and leisure time has revealed strategies men use to circumvent or maneuver stigmas to minimize negative perceptions. Pole dancing is an under‐researched activity uniquely positioned to understand dynamics of gender and sexuality. In this research dialog, we present preliminary results from 13 semi‐structured interviews with U.S. men who pole dance to understand how they navigate masculinity and sexuality in pole dancing. First, we find men very strategically disclose their pole dancing to others in the context of the activity's connections to women, gay men, and sex work. Second, we note how men who “pole” often rely on gender essentialist tropes that reinforce the assumption of natural, biological differences between men and women in attempt to legitimize their participation. Third, men who pole are aware of the potential “creepiness” of their presence in pole dance spaces and use this as an opportunity for reflection. Exploring how men rationalize their participation in pole dance is useful to understand the gender and sexual dynamics of men's presence in women‐dominated spaces and broader contemporary masculinities.

Impact of pole dancing on mental wellbeing and sexual self-concept: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Specifically, pole dancing has been linked to reductions in depression and anxiety, increases in positive affect, self-esteem, and self-efficacy, and reductions in negative affect and loneliness [ 10 , 11 ]. Furthermore, it challenges entrenched gender norms, offering a space for the exploration and redefinition of masculinity and sexuality, particularly noted in the participation of men in pole dancing activities, which may counter traditional hetero masculine norms [ 12 ].…”