Cheating - and sexual perferences

SuspeckTed knocks away the shards of glass and debris from the "break in case of emergency blog topic" case and grabs can of worms and quickly rips open the top and out comes his latest discussion topic: Heterosexual relationships and homosexual cheating. I may have posed this question before

I've always found it interesting to ponder hypotheticals on cheating in relationships. I will begin with a disclaimer that I myself have never cheated on anyone I've been in a committed relationship nor (to my knowledge) have any of my partners ever cheated on me. I feel it's important to point this out because I have no way of knowing how I'd really feel if I was cheated on so I can only speculate my reactions.

The scenario is this: I contend that in my current relationship with a woman (I am a man) that if I was cheated on by her I wouldn't feel as betrayed if she cheated on me with another woman verses another man. I've questioned many of my friends on this topic and have received some very mixed reactions. Some couples even began arguing about how they each felt believing that there is a right and wrong answer to such a question, so I figure it's probably safer to discuss this in JU where people can answer as individuals.

My reasoning is this. Because I am a man, I don't feel that i can be replaced by a woman, in that, if my partner really wanted to be with a woman then there's really very little I can do to fill that gap as a man. I can't be a woman (well, without costly and painful surgery) for my partner so I don't find it particularly threatening that she may have another sexual encounter with a woman, at least in comparison to what I beleive my reaction would be if I had found out she had cheated on me with another man. Some friends raised the issue of what if your partner was bi-sexual and equally attracted to each sex. While I have my own questions about whether I even believe in true bi-sexuality, I still contend that I wouldn't feel as betrayed. Much in the same way most heterosexual couples don't feel threatened if their partners spend a lot of time with friends of the same sex but often do when they spend a lot of time with friends of the opposite sex.

More disclaimer's - clearly i would be concerned about things like disease, emotional attachments, and the fact that my partner did something to betray my trust (to my partner if she's reading this, I'm not giving her the green flag to sleep with other women with my blessing). But I don't think I would feel the same sting of betrayal if I found out that my partner got drunk and had an anonymous romp with a woman vs. another man. and NO it's not because of the frat boy fantasy of girl on girl action.

Okay that should be enough to get things started even though I know I left out a number of details to the scenario. thoughts?
6,196 views 10 replies
Reply #1 Top
I believe that it is still cheating, personally. But I defer to you and your girlfriend the right to make decisions for your own relationship.
Reply #2 Top
I never meant to imply that it wasn't cheating....the question is, do you think it's the same thing. Would you be hurt just as much?
Reply #3 Top
Attention-grabbing question, but not one that hadn't been considered during my long life as a bachelor. I've never encountered a relatable situation, dated a bisexual, nor had an illicit affair while committed, not that the thought hadn't crossed my mind.

Which brings to mind, the character “Ross” on the TV show Friends? He experienced exactly what your referencing. He exhibited moments of fantasies, but faced inadequacy, betrayal and trust issues, which I should add is real.

I agree with you theoretically, with one caveat. The caveat, my flight of the imagination would filter back to fantasies of FMF, like “Ross”. However, my reality would have me reacting to the same feelings as if learning my wife had an affair with another man, betrayal and trust, and not likely recoverable, because their founded in my morals and values.
Reply #4 Top
Thanks for your thoughts Titan. This seems to be the sentiment of most. I usually lose my friends with my joking comments that perhaps I'm just too egotistical. Like if my wife left me for a woman at least I could try and convince myself that she realized that she's had the best man a man can be and it still wasn't doing it for her so she sought out a woman. If she thought there was a better man out there for her than she'd pursue another man, but I could sleep soundly believing I was the pinnacle of all that is man.

Reply #5 Top

(I am a man)

No!  really?  maybe the Ted Gave it away?

As to your question, it is one I have pondered and thought about.  I guess I am in your camp where I know I cannot compete with a woman, so while I would be hurt and disappointed, there is not a lot I could do.  having had an ex cheat on me, I know it hurt alot.  I also know it was partly my fault as well.

But yea, homsexual cheating, while definitely wrong, is not as ego deflating as the alternative.  And there fore I guess I am saying less damage done.

Reply #6 Top
Well Dr. Guy, I know there's a lot of new people probably here since I "left" so I thought I'd just make that clear right off the bat.
Reply #7 Top

hypothetically, if it were me personally, i'd only sleep with another woman if i had some emotional connection to her, which means it should be just as hurtful to my husband as an affair with a male.

but whether it would would that way in reality ... somehow i don't think so !

mig xx

Reply #8 Top
Mig, I've heard that from many as well. Suggesting that they'd only cheat with someone that they did feel some emotional connection with. I agree that it's pretty unrealistic for someone to claim there is no emotional connection and that it was "just sex," but it still opens up a defense of "just experimenting" I suppose.
Reply #9 Top
Great question, sus, and nice to "see" you again.

I think that cheating is cheating period, but {yep the dreaded but} I would feel more hurt if colleen cheated with a woman than a man I would feel such a failure to her that she had to turn to another woman for satisfaction. Either way I would be hurt and discouraged and might leave the relationship behind.
Reply #10 Top
No you wouldn't be a failure, your only failure would be not being a woman. You can't turn someone gay. If she had gone to another woman then you could say you failed as a man because she wanted to be with a man better than you. If she went to a woman, isn't it possible that there was nothing you could do about it?