Policy Positions

Our Policy Positions

 

Why We Take Policy Positions

Many issues affecting or involving gay men are debated in wider public and political conversations about sex, gender, safeguarding, and rights. We therefore set out clear positions on the topics most likely to arise in these debates.

To remain principled, credible, and focused on our mission, we only take public positions when an issue directly affects gay men as a sex-based class, or when it raises fundamental questions about safeguarding, bodily integrity, same-sex attraction, community life, or the truth about biological sex, in ways that relate to our remit.

We focus on areas where misrepresentation or politicised pressure harms gay men, boys who may grow up to be gay, or the wider clarity needed for our sex-based rights. Our stance is shaped by evidence, safeguarding standards, and the need to protect children from unnecessary medical or social interventions.

We also take positions where accurate data, research integrity, and freedom of expression are essential for the wellbeing of gay men. We do not adopt positions on unrelated political matters or general social issues, because our credibility depends on remaining focused, principled, and mission-aligned.

In every case, we ask whether an issue impacts gay men directly or indirectly, whether it concerns sex-based reality, and whether speaking clearly will materially help our community.

 

Diversity of Views Among Gay Men

Gay men are not a monolith, and HGM is a broad-based organisation with a diverse membership. Not every member will agree with every policy, and we do not require uniformity of thought. We share core principles that define who we are: that sex is real, that homosexuality is based on biological sex, that gender identity cannot override biological reality, and that boys who may grow up to be gay must be protected from ideological medicalisation.

These foundations are essential for membership because they underpin our purpose and our work. Beyond these core commitments, however, gay men will naturally hold a diversity of perspectives. We come from different backgrounds, cultures, and generations, and bring our own experiences to questions of health, community, family life, culture, and advocacy. HGM values this diversity of thought and supports open, good-faith discussion among members.

On some issues we adopt a considered position for public advocacy, but individual members may reasonably hold different views or prefer different approaches to achieving shared goals. What unites us is not rigid uniformity, but a shared commitment to truth, safeguarding, free speech, and the wellbeing of gay men.

 

How These Positions Are Used

Below is a list of issues on which HGM holds a position, or where we have chosen not to adopt one. Some positions remain broad while our research develops, and this page will be updated as our work progresses.

These policy positions reflect the current position of HumanGayMale in line with our mission, values, and safeguarding principles. They are intended to provide clarity and direction for our work, and to support structured discussion among members about how we approach policy, advocacy, and public debate, including through workshops at member events such as our conference.

 

Core Issues

1. Definition of Homosexuality

Homosexuality is attraction to the same sex, not to gender identity. Gay men are male, and our sexuality is based on biological sex. We reject attempts to redefine homosexuality as attraction to “gender identity,” “gender expression,” or “non-binary identities,” as this erases gay men and undermines the sex-based foundations of same-sex rights. Accurate terminology in public communication is essential, and issues specific to gay men should be described as such rather than under umbrella terms that obscure sex-based meaning.

 

2. Male-Only Spaces

Gay men have the right to associate on the basis of biological sex. HGM takes a clear position in favour of sex-based boundaries and the right of gay men to organise socially, run male-only clubs and associations, operate health and wellbeing services specifically for gay men, and maintain male-only categories in research, data and law. We reject attempts to override sex-based spaces and services through gender identity or self-identification.

 

3. Rejection of “Queer”

HGM rejects the use of “queer” to describe gay men. The term is a homophobic slur that has been repurposed in an ideological way to include heterosexual people and to encompass kink, fetish and subcultural identities. Its use erodes sex-based definitions of homosexuality and collapses gay men into a broad, incoherent “umbrella” that obscures our specific needs and rights.

 

4. Safeguarding Boys Who May Grow Up to Be Gay Men

HGM takes a firm stance against the transitioning of minors. This includes social transition, concealed transition in schools, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries on minors. We believe all children have a fundamental right to bodily integrity and protection from unnecessary or irreversible interventions. We oppose any teaching that suggests a child’s gender nonconformity means they are “trans” or “born in the wrong body”, and the replacement of safeguarding principles with activist-led training. We support evidence-based clinical practice, therapeutic exploration, developmentally appropriate support, honesty about sexual orientation, and protecting children from unnecessary medical risk.

 

 

These issues are not core to our organisational purpose, and there is no expectation that all members will agree with every aspect of our positions on them. We include them because they are commonly raised in discussions involving gay men, or because they intersect with safeguarding, bodily integrity, or the clarity of sex-based rights. Our positions reflect what we consider the most coherent and principled approach given our values and purpose, while recognising that some members may reasonably hold different views.

 

5. Circumcision

As mentioned above, HGM believes all children have a fundamental right to bodily integrity. Infant circumcision removes healthy tissue, permanently alters the body, is performed without consent, carries risks, and is not medically necessary. As an organisation committed to protecting boys from unnecessary medical interventions and from irreversible changes to their bodies, it would be inconsistent if we didn’t at least question male infant circumcision.

Our organisational position reflects a simple and consistent principle: boys have the right to grow up with their bodies intact and to make their own decisions about irreversible interventions affecting their sexual anatomy and future intimate lives. However, we recognise some of our members might take a different view for cultural and religious reasons and this does not prevent them being HGM members.

 

6. Surrogacy

HGM recognises that many gay men wish to become parents. We also believe the rights and wellbeing of the child must always come first. However, surrogacy is not inherently a gay men’s issue.

Surrogacy is an industry that is heavily and disproportionately marketed to gay men by commercial agencies, clinics and international brokers. This gives the impression that surrogacy is a natural or expected route for gay men to become parents, even though gay men actually represent a minority of intended parents in surrogacy arrangements globally. It also implies this is something all gay men want, or that gay men must have a right to have children by whatever means necessary.

We oppose any practices that are exploitative, coercive, commodify children, or place adult desires above the welfare of the child. Our position is about principle rather than prescription, and we do not take a detailed view on specific regulatory models.

We also recognise and support non-commercial, transparent options that prioritise the child’s interests, including co-parenting arrangements as well as adoption and fostering, which remain well-established and socially valuable routes for gay men to build families.

 

7. Drag Queens

HGM acknowledges that drag is a longstanding gay male performance tradition that originated far from, and is far more than, the mainstream media portrayal today. It is a niche element of gay male culture. While individual acts can be misogynistic, drag as an artform is not inherently so. Drag queens are men but drag is not synonymous with “being trans”. Conflating the two reinforces concepts of gender identity rather than clarifying them.

Most importantly, drag queens are an adult form of entertainment and cultural expression. They are not appropriate in schools or settings involving children. Our concern is not with drag itself but with the erosion of boundaries that protect children from adult themes improperly repackaged as education or inclusion.

 

8. Kink & Fetish

HGM supports the right of adults to engage in consensual kink and fetish practices privately, and within the boundaries of their own wellbeing. However, we strongly oppose public sexualised displays, fetish gear or performances in environments where children are present, and we oppose attempts to present kink or fetish culture as a required part of being gay.

In recent years, influenced by queer theory and boundary-erasing ideology, kink and fetish have been packaged into the “LGBTQ+” umbrella and portrayed as on a par with simply being attracted to the same sex. Blurring boundaries between adult sexual subcultures and general public settings undermines safeguarding and risks exposing children to adult content. Clear boundaries protect both adult freedom and child safety.

 

9. Porn

HGM does not take a detailed position on heterosexual pornography, as it is not a gay men’s issue. Other organisations are better placed to speak on that. Our position is limited to the gay male context, although the general themes we oppose in gay male pornography could be applicable to any pornography.

HGM recognises that while gay pornography does not involve the exploitation of women or the extreme violence found in heterosexual porn, it presents distinct challenges. These include intersections with “chem-sex”, body-image pressures, exploitation or coercion of young gay men, financial dependency on platforms like OnlyFans, glamorisation of risky sexual behaviour, and harmful effects on mental health and sexual expectations.

We take a harm-reduction approach: opposing coercion and exploitation, protecting minors and vulnerable young adults from entering sexual economies, and encouraging healthier, realistic models of gay intimacy. Pornography is adult entertainment, not a guide to relationships, sex or self-worth.

 

10. Sex Work

HGM does not take a detailed position on sex work in general, as women’s experiences and policy needs differ and are addressed by organisations better placed to lead on those issues. Our position is limited to the gay male context, although some of the harms we identify may apply more broadly. We recognise that there are differing views on how best to minimise the harms associated with sex work, and we do not take an official position on which approach is preferable.

We recognise that some adult gay men choose to engage in sex work, including digital erotic labour, and they should not be stigmatised or criminalised for consensual adult activity. However, we strongly oppose coercion, exploitation by third parties, drug-facilitated sexual labour, unsafe working conditions, and the glamorisation of sex work to vulnerable young men. Increasingly, gay male sex work intersects with digital platforms, “chem-sex”, homelessness, financial precarity and targeted social-media recruitment. Our position prioritises consent, safety, mental-health support, exit pathways, and clear boundaries between adult sexual economies and youth culture.

 

11. Men’s Advocacy

HGM recognises that many issues affecting gay men sit within wider patterns impacting men and boys more broadly, including educational underachievement, poorer health outcomes, social isolation, and higher rates of substance abuse, homelessness, and suicide. While we are not a general men’s advocacy organisation, we acknowledge that gay men are part of this broader context and often experience these challenges alongside additional pressures. We support evidence-based, sex-informed approaches to men’s wellbeing, and believe that issues affecting men and boys should be addressed seriously and practically, rather than ignored, minimised, or reframed through ideological narratives.

 

12. Gay Men’s Health

HGM recognises that gay men experience distinct health issues and risks that are not always well served by generalised or identity-based healthcare frameworks. These include differences in sexual health, mental health, substance use, and ageing. Too often, gay men’s health needs are either overlooked, collapsed into broader categories, or addressed through ideological narratives that obscure sex-based reality and same-sex attraction.

We support evidence-based, sex-informed healthcare and research that recognises gay men as a distinct population with specific needs. Where health policy, guidance, research, or public messaging affects gay men directly, we may comment or advocate to ensure gay men’s health and wellbeing are addressed honestly, proportionately, and without ideological distortion.

 

13. Domestic Violence

HGM recognises that domestic violence is under-discussed in relation to men, despite evidence showing that a significant number of male victims receive inadequate recognition or support. Research also shows that gay male couples have the lowest rates of domestic violence of any relationship type. Yet domestic abuse involving male victims is frequently and wrongly portrayed as a “gay issue”, distorting both public understanding and service provision.

Domestic violence affects people of both sexes and all sexual orientations. Gay men may experience abuse from partners of the same sex or from acquaintances and family members of either sex. HGM advocates for evidence-based policy, accurate sex-based recording of perpetrators and victims, and the development of services that recognise the specific needs of male victims in general, and of gay men specifically.

 

 

Issues We Do Not Take Positions On

There are many areas of public policy where we deliberately do not take a position. These issues fall outside our remit, do not materially affect gay men as a sex-based class, or are better addressed by organisations with the appropriate expertise. Remaining focused is essential to our credibility, and we engage only where clarity, safeguarding, or sex-based rights for gay men are directly at stake.

 

14. Abortion

We acknowledge that a minority of people oppose abortion in all circumstances, and a minority support entirely unrestricted abortion, while the majority view abortion as something ideally avoided but sometimes necessary.

Abortion does not directly relate to the rights or wellbeing of gay men. Accordingly, HGM does not take a position on the specific parameters of abortion law or policy. Decisions concerning abortion belong to the women and families involved, in consultation with healthcare professionals. We support evidence-based healthcare, robust safeguarding, and respectful public debate to inform legislators’ decisions.

 

15. Party Politics

HGM does not endorse or oppose any political party. We will critique or oppose specific policies only where they are homophobic, undermine sex-based rights, distort evidence, or harm gay men.

 

16. General Government Policy

HGM does not take positions on general matters of foreign policy, immigration, international conflict, economic policy or similar issues. We will comment where such matters directly and distinctly affect gay men — for example, asylum claims involving sexual orientation, or aspects of education or healthcare policy where safeguarding and sex-based accuracy are essential.

 

17. Faith and Religion

HGM does not take a position on any religion or belief system and upholds the Equality Act 2010 principle that religion or belief — including lack of belief — is a protected characteristic. However, we will critique doctrines, teachings or institutional practices within religious groups where they are homophobic or materially harm the rights or wellbeing of gay men.