Women made up 49.7% of the audience for gay content on Pornhub in 2026, almost exactly half, according to Pornhub’s Pride Insights report shared with Out. That’s up from 37% in 2017.
Researchers say women watch gay male porn for reasons that have little to do with being gay men. In a study of 275 women who watch it, 82% said it was their preferred type of porn, according to PsyPost.
In this article, we’ll break down how many women watch gay porn, who they are, the reasons research finds, what lab studies show about women’s arousal, and how the same pattern shows up in fan fiction and Boys’ Love (BL) media.
Top Statistics on Women and Gay Porn
- Women made up 49.7% of Pornhub’s gay-content audience in 2026, up from 37% in 2017 (company-reported).
- Women were about 38% of all Pornhub users in 2025, so they’re over-represented in the gay category.
- 82% of 275 women who watch gay male porn said it was their preferred type of porn (Neville, 2015).
- 55% of women Neville interviewed had imagined themselves as a man while consuming m/m content (5-year study of 500-plus women, 2018).
- Only 41% of women who watch gay porn in Neville’s 2015 study identified as heterosexual; 32% were bisexual.
- More than 60% of 2,730 Spanish women had ever watched gay male porn (2022 study).
- About 7.9 million works on fan fiction site AO3 are tagged M/M, about 2 times as many as F/M (4.0 million).
How Many Women Watch Gay Porn?
Women were 49.7% of Pornhub’s gay-content audience in 2026, and men 50.3%, according to Pornhub data reported by Out. These figures are company-reported, and Pornhub infers gender from analytics data rather than verified accounts.
Women’s share has risen 12.7 percentage points in 9 years (our calculation). It was 37% in 2017, per PinkNews, 43% in 2024, per Attitude, and 47% in 2025, per Attitude.
Women watch gay porn more than their overall share of porn viewers would predict, a share tracked in statistics on how many women watch porn. Women were about 38% of all Pornhub users in 2025, according to Ynetnews, so in 2025 their share of the gay audience (47%) was about 1.2 times their share of all users (our calculation).
Here’s a breakdown of women’s share of Pornhub’s audience:
| Year | Women’s Share of Gay-Content Audience | Women’s Share of All Users | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Not reported | 26% | Refinery29 |
| 2017 | 37% | Not reported | PinkNews |
| 2024 | 43% | Not reported | Attitude |
| 2025 | 47% | 38% | Attitude; Ynetnews |
| 2026 | 49.7% | Not reported | Out |
All figures are company-reported by Pornhub. Sources: Refinery29, PinkNews, Attitude 2024, Attitude 2025, Ynetnews, Out
Gay male porn has long ranked high with women. It was the 2nd most-viewed category among women on Pornhub in 2014 and 2015, behind lesbian, while it ranked 7th among men in 2014, according to Salon. Women were 69% more likely than men to watch it in Pornhub’s 2016 data, per PinkNews.
Surveys of women show the same interest. More than 60% of 2,730 Spanish women had ever watched gay male porn, according to Giménez-García et al. (2022), though it was the least-watched of the three content types they asked about. In a 2015 Marie Claire survey of 3,000 women, 13% named gay male porn as a type they preferred, per Business Standard.
Who Else Watches Gay Porn?
Gay men aren’t the only audience for gay porn. Gay visitors made up about 6% of all Pornhub traffic in 2017, according to company data reported by PinkNews, while women were already 37% of viewers of gay content that year.
Straight men watch it too, and research on straight men who watch gay porn links it to curiosity and fluid attraction. 24% of self-identified straight men on YouPorn watched male-on-male porn, according to company data reported by GCN in 2018.
Here’s a breakdown of Pornhub’s gay-content audience:
| Measure | Figure | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women’s share of gay-content audience | 49.7% | 2026 | Out |
| Men’s share of gay-content audience | 50.3% | 2026 | Out |
| Share of viewers aged 18 to 24 (all genders) | 31% | 2026 | Instinct |
| Share of views from 18- to 24-year-olds (all genders) | 27% | 2025 | Attitude |
| Share aged 65 and over (all genders) | 9% | 2026 | Instinct |
| Share aged over 45, gay content vs other content | More than 30% vs 21% | 2017 | PinkNews |
| Gay visitors’ share of all Pornhub traffic | About 6% | 2017 | PinkNews |
All figures are company-reported. Sources: Out, Instinct, Attitude, PinkNews
18- to 24-year-olds were the largest age group in both years: 27% of views in 2025, per Attitude, and 31% of viewers in 2026, per Instinct. The two reports use different measures, so the figures aren’t directly comparable.
Why Do Women Watch Gay Porn?
82% of women who watch gay male porn said it was their preferred type of porn, and 90% had masturbated to it, in a survey of 275 women by sociologist Lucy Neville, according to PsyPost. The study appeared in the journal Porn Studies in 2015.
Her later 5-year project surveyed and interviewed more than 500 women, according to the University of Leicester. 55% of the women she interviewed said they had imagined themselves as a man while consuming gay male erotica, per NBC News.
The most common reason was simple attraction to men: watching two of them instead of one, per PsyPost. Many women also objected to how straight porn treats women, with female pleasure unseen and the camera fixed on women’s bodies.
The Advocate’s summary of the 2015 study says more than half of these women watch m/m porn because it feels more authentic, per The Advocate. Some also liked that neither partner is automatically cast as dominant or submissive, per PsyPost.
Here’s a breakdown of the main reasons women give, and the evidence behind each:
| Reason | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Attraction to men: two attractive men instead of one | The most common reason given; 87.6% of Japanese Thai-BL viewers cited liking the actors | Neville 2015, via PsyPost; Pongsapitaksanti 2025 (1,734 viewers, surveyed 2024) |
| It feels more authentic | More than half, per The Advocate’s summary | Neville 2015, via The Advocate |
| Imagining being one of the men | 55% had imagined themselves as a man | NBC News (Neville, 500+ women) |
| Partners look more equal | BL couples rated more equal than straight couples (4.24 vs 3.40) | Zhou et al. 2021 (174 Chinese women) |
| No worry about women being exploited, and no woman’s body to compare with | Reported by women in the survey | Neville 2015, via PsyPost |
| It’s arousing | “Arousing” was the top-rated yaoi motive (2.86 of 5), though men rated it higher than women | Zsila et al. 2018 (724 Hungarian consumers, 58% men) |
Equality comes up in experimental research too. In a study of 174 Chinese women, participants engaged more with a BL story than a heterosexual romance (5.24 vs 4.33) and saw the BL couple as more equal, according to Zhou et al. (2021).
Women in this study also identified more with the leading man in the BL story than with the male lead in a straight romance (4.82 vs 4.12), per Zhou et al.
Japanese BL fans give similar answers. In a 2021 web poll of 500 Japanese BL fans of both sexes, aged teens to 50s (853 answers), the top reason was being able to enjoy BL apart from their own gender (24.3% of answers), followed by many handsome male characters (23.4%), according to ciatr.
Here’s a breakdown of why Japanese fans like BL:
| Reason | Share of Answers |
|---|---|
| Can enjoy it apart from their own gender | 24.3% |
| Many handsome male characters | 23.4% |
| Unique worldview | 21.0% |
| Less melodrama than girls’ (shoujo) manga | 16.5% |
| No jealousy, because the romance is between men | 7.2% |
This was a self-selected web poll (500 people gave 853 answers, April to May 2021). “Other” (7.6%) is not shown. Source: ciatr
Not every reason is about romance. In a Hungarian survey of 724 yaoi (BL) readers and viewers (published 2018), “arousing” was the highest-rated motive, at 2.86 out of 5, just ahead of art and aesthetics (2.77), according to Zsila et al.. That sample was 58% men, unlike most BL fan surveys.
Who Are the Women Who Watch Gay Porn?
Many are not heterosexual, a far higher rate than LGBTQ+ identification in the general population. Only 41% of the 275 women in Neville’s 2015 study identified as heterosexual and 32% as bisexual, according to Justin Lehmiller. That means 59% were not straight (our calculation).
The same pattern shows up across fan communities. 39.2% of women in an English-speaking BL fandom survey identified as heterosexual, per Madill & Zhao (2021), and only 13.92% of AO3 fan fiction users did in 2022, per Flow.
Here’s a breakdown of sexual orientation in studies of m/m fans:
| Study | Population | Heterosexual | Bisexual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madill & Zhao 2021 | Greater-China BL fans | 65.5% | Not reported |
| Pagliassotti 2008 | English-language BL readers (n=478, 2005) | 47% | 25% |
| Neville 2018 | Women who consume m/m (500+) | 45% | Not reported |
| Neville 2015 | Women who watch m/m porn (n=275) | 41% | 32% |
| Madill & Zhao 2021 | English-speaking female BL fans | 39.2% | Not reported |
| Rouse & Stanfill 2023 | AO3 users (n=5,000, 2022) | 13.92% | 24.83% |
The China figure covers all respondents; the other BL figures cover women or mostly women. Sources: Madill & Zhao, Pagliassotti, VICE, Lehmiller, Flow
Age data is thinner. Gay male porn was the most popular category for women over 45 in Pornhub’s 2017 data, according to Bustle. Across all genders, 18- to 24-year-olds were the largest age group in Pornhub’s gay audience in 2026, at 31%, per Instinct.
What Else Do Women Who Watch Gay Porn Watch?
Most don’t watch only gay porn. 68% of the women in Neville’s 2015 study also watched heterosexual porn and 53% watched lesbian porn, according to PsyPost.
Lesbian was women’s top category in Pornhub’s 2014 data, when women viewed it 132% more than men, per Bustle, and research on straight women and lesbian porn finds lesbian scenes show female orgasm far more often than mainstream porn. In 2025, they viewed the Bisexual Male category 67% more than men and Solo Male 48% more, according to Tyla.
Here’s a breakdown of women’s interest in male-focused and other categories:
| Measure | Figure | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women vs men, lesbian category | 132% more | 2014 | Pornhub, via Bustle |
| Women vs men, gay (male) category | 69% more | 2016 | Pornhub, via PinkNews |
| Women vs men, bisexual male category | 67% more | 2025 | Pornhub, via Tyla |
| Women vs men, solo male category | 48% more | 2025 | Pornhub, via Tyla |
| m/m viewers who also watch straight porn | 68% | 2015 | Neville, via PsyPost |
| m/m viewers who also watch lesbian porn | 53% | 2015 | Neville, via PsyPost |
| Women preferring heterosexual / lesbian / gay male porn | 63% / 44% / 13% | 2015 | Marie Claire survey |
What Does Research Say About Women’s Arousal?
Women’s genital arousal is much less tied to the gender of the people on screen than men’s. In a 2021 lab study, cisgender women’s genital arousal tracked their stated attraction far more weakly than cisgender men’s (standardized coefficient 0.18 vs 0.83), according to Raines et al.
Other studies point the same way. In 199 women, genital and pupil responses rose above baseline to both male and female videos at every sexual orientation, according to Holmes et al. (2021).
Earlier lab work found the same pattern. In a 2007 study of 47 women and 44 men, women responded to both male and female sexual activity, while men responded mainly to their preferred sex, according to Chivers, Seto & Blanchard.
Genital response isn’t the same as desire. Across 132 studies, women’s genital and self-reported arousal agreed far less than men’s (a correlation of 0.26 vs 0.66), per a meta-analysis by Chivers et al.
Here’s a breakdown of key lab and survey findings:
| Finding | Women | Men | Study |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genital arousal tracks stated attraction (coefficient) | 0.18 | 0.83 | Raines et al. 2021 |
| Genital and self-reported arousal agree (correlation) | 0.26 | 0.66 | Chivers et al. 2010, 132 studies |
| Fantasized about watching two men have sex | 19.3% | 16.2% | Joyal et al. 2015 (1,516 adults, one Quebec city) |
| Pupils dilate to both sexes | Most common in heterosexual women | Mostly to preferred sex | Rieger & Savin-Williams 2012 (n=325) |
Orientation shapes the response. In the Spanish survey of 2,730 women, bisexual women reported the most arousal to gay male porn and lesbian women the most discomfort, according to Giménez-García et al. Overall, 91.4% of the women had ever watched any porn.
Women were slightly more likely than men to fantasize about watching two men have sex, 19.3% vs 16.2%, about 1.2 times the share, in a 2015 Quebec study, according to Joyal, Cossette & Lapierre.
Beyond Porn: Slash Fiction and Boys’ Love
Interest in m/m content goes far beyond video. About 7.9 million works on fan fiction archive AO3 are tagged M/M, about 2 times as many as F/M (4.0 million) and 4.9 times as many as F/F (1.6 million), according to tag counts by ToastyStats (2025).
AO3 now hosts about 18.8 million works and 12 million registered users, according to its homepage (October 2026). An analysis by The Pudding found M/M “slash” made up 52% of fan fiction in AO3’s most popular pairings (those with at least 1,000 works) in 2024.
The audience is mostly women. 90.3% of respondents to the 2013 AO3 Census selected female, per centrumlumina, and 53.77% of 5,000 AO3 users surveyed in 2022 were cisgender women, per Flow. 51.32% named slash as their main pairing type.
Here’s a breakdown of m/m fan and BL audience data:
| Measure | Figure | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| AO3 users who “strongly enjoy” M/M works | 69.1% | 2024 | AO3 Demographics Survey |
| AO3 users who “strongly enjoy” F/M works | 27.4% | 2024 | AO3 Demographics Survey |
| AO3 users naming slash as main pairing type | 51.32% | 2022 | Rouse & Stanfill |
| Female share of English-language BL readers | 89% | 2005 | Pagliassotti |
| Female share of English-speaking readers of m/m erotica | 75% | c. 2019 | Madill & Zhao 2022 |
| Female share of Chinese-speaking readers of m/m erotica | 88% | c. 2019 | Madill & Zhao 2022 |
| Female share of Japanese viewers of Thai BL dramas | 90.0% | 2024 | Pongsapitaksanti |
| Male share of BL fans in Japan | 30.6% | 2016 | Yano Research, via SoraNews24 |
Fans who like M/M often prefer it strongly. 69.1% of AO3 survey respondents “strongly enjoy” M/M works vs 27.4% for F/M, about 2.5 times as many, according to the 2024 AO3 Demographics Survey, an unofficial fan survey.
Most of these fans aren’t straight women. Heterosexual women made up only 25% to 36% of M/M fans in the 2013 AO3 Census, according to centreoftheselights.
Yano Research estimated Japan had about 740,000 BL fans, 36.5% of them aged 20 to 29, according to SoraNews24 (2019). In Yano’s 2016 survey, the male share of self-identified fans was 30.6%, up from 17.9% the year before.
BL audiences aren’t only young. The largest age group among Japanese viewers of Thai BL dramas was 36 to 50, at 43.0%, according to Pongsapitaksanti (2025; surveyed in early 2024).
Many fans create m/m stories too. In a 2005 survey of English-language BL fans, 49% of those who create BL said they made it for creative self-expression and 30% because they found it sexually exciting, according to Pagliassotti. In Neville’s 2018 study of 429 women who read or write slash, participants broadly agreed it had improved their knowledge of and attitudes toward LGBTQ+ issues, per Neville.
BL is a real industry. Japan’s BL market was worth 21.9 billion yen in 2016, per Anime News Network, and Thailand’s BL and GL series industry was estimated at more than 4.9 billion baht in 2025, growing about 17% a year, according to SCB EIC estimates reported by The Nation. Thailand made more than 55% of Asia’s BL series in 2024.
In the US, LGBTQ romance novels sold 1 million units in the 12 months to May 2023, up 40% year over year, according to Circana.
Methodology
We reviewed 197 candidate data points from peer-reviewed studies, academic surveys, company-reported platform data (Pornhub, YouPorn), fan-community surveys and market research. Pornhub figures are company-reported, infer gender from analytics data and come from press coverage.
Most surveys of women who watch m/m content are self-selected samples of fans, not representative populations, so they describe that audience rather than all women.
Key Takeaways
Women now make up about half of the audience for gay male porn on Pornhub, 49.7% in 2026, up from 37% in 2017. In the best-known study of these women, 82% said gay male porn was their preferred type.
The reasons research finds are about women’s own pleasure, not men’s sexuality: authenticity, equality between partners, freedom from comparing themselves with a woman on screen, and two attractive men. Many of these viewers aren’t straight; only 41% in Neville’s 2015 study were heterosexual.
FAQ
Do women watch gay porn?
Yes. Women made up 49.7% of Pornhub’s gay-content audience in 2026, according to company data, and more than 60% of 2,730 Spanish women surveyed had ever watched gay male porn.
Why do straight women like gay porn?
Women in Neville’s studies say it feels more authentic, shows two men enjoying each other, and doesn’t invite comparison with another woman’s body; a Chinese experiment found women rated BL couples as more equal. 55% of women Neville interviewed had imagined themselves as one of the men.
What percentage of gay porn viewers are women?
About half: 49.7% in Pornhub’s 2026 Pride data, up from 43% in 2024 and 47% in 2025. These are company-reported figures based on inferred gender.
Is it normal for women to watch gay porn?
It’s common. Gay male porn was the 2nd most-viewed category among women on Pornhub in 2014 and 2015, and 19.3% of women in a 2015 Quebec study said they had fantasized about watching two men have sex.
Are women who watch gay porn bisexual?
Many are, but not all. In Neville’s study of 275 women who watch gay porn, 41% identified as heterosexual and 32% as bisexual.
About this research
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