This article is about human sexuality. For other uses of the terms, see Top (disambiguation) and Switch (disambiguation). Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Image File history File links Portal. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Queer studies is the study of issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity. ... Image File history File links Gay_flag. ... Gender in common usage refers to the sexual distinction between male and female. ... Homosexuality refers to sexual interaction and / or romantic attraction between individuals of the same sex. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... 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This list indexes the articles on LGBT rights in each country and significant non-country region (e. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Look up top in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up switch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

In the context of human sexual behavior, a top is an insertive or dominant partner, or a person who prefers the insertive or dominant role, and a bottom is a receptive partner (that is, a partner who is penetrated or submissive). This article is about sexual practices (i. ...

A person who enjoys both topping and bottoming is called versatile or a switch^{[citation needed]}; the act of doing so is called switching.

These terms are used among gay men, BDSM practitioners, in some lesbian circles, and are gaining use among some opposite-sex couples too. For example, the act of pegging involves a female top and a male bottom. Homosexuality is a sexual orientation characterized by esthetic attraction, romantic love, or sexual desire exclusively for another of the same sex. ... A collar is a common symbol in BDSM. Female bottom in bondage with leather monoglove BDSM is any of a number of related patterns of human sexual behavior. ... A lesbian is a woman who is romantically and sexually attracted only to other women. ... A woman pegging a man doggy-style with a 4-strap harness and dildo, using the corner of the bed to adjust to the height most comfortable for penetration Pegging describes a sexual practice by which a man is anally penetrated by a woman wearing a strap-on dildo. ...

Top and bottom in sex

Representation of Hadrian (as top) penetrating Antinous (as pathic or bottom) in Egypt

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Publius Aelius Traianus Hadrianus (January 24, 76 – July 10, 138), known as Hadrian in English was Roman emperor from 117 – 138, as well as a Stoic and Epicurean philosopher. ... Antinous or Antinoös (Greek: ) born circa 110 or 111 CE, died 130 CE), was the lover of the Roman Emperor Hadrian Bust of Antinous in the Palazzo Altemps museum in Rome // He was born to a Greek family in Bithynion-Claudiopolis, in the Roman province of Bithynia in what... Sexuality in ancient Rome generally lacked the modern categories of heterosexual or homosexual. ...

Top

The top need not be physically on top of the other partner though this is often the case.

"Top" can also be used as a transitive or intransitive verb meaning to sexually penetrate (someone).

In some American contexts, "tops" sometimes identified themselves by wearing a set of keys on the left side of the belt or a color-coded handkerchief in their left rear pockets, in this system the top did not always penetrate the bottom nor was he always the "active" partner, rather the "top" role would be different from act to act. This practice, called flagging, began in the gay male subculture. Handkerchief code, more commonly known as hanky code or flagging was a way of indicating, usually among gay male casual sex seekers or BDSM practitioners in the US and Canada, whether they were a top or bottom, and what kind of sex they were seeking, by wearing color-coded handkerchiefs...

Bottom

"Bottom" can also be used as an intransitive verb meaning to be sexually penetrated by: to bottom for someone.

Beginning in the 1970s, bottoms sometimes identified themselves by wearing a set of keys on the right side of the belt or a handkerchief in their right rear pocket. In this system the bottom was not always penetrated, nor was he always the "passive" partner. Rather, the "bottom" role was different from act to act, as signified by the color of the handkerchief. The practice is used much less today. Handkerchief code, more commonly known as hanky code or flagging was a way of indicating, usually among gay male casual sex seekers or BDSM practitioners in the US and Canada, whether they were a top or bottom, and what kind of sex they were seeking, by wearing color-coded handkerchiefs...

Switch or Versatile

To be versatile is to be willing to alternate as either or both a penetrative or receptive partner in sex; this is primarily used for homosexuals in reference to anal sex. A switch lesbian enjoys being alternately the active partner and the receptive partner, for example while engaging in oral sex or while using a strap-on dildo. Homosexuality is a sexual orientation characterized by esthetic attraction, romantic love, or sexual desire exclusively for another of the same sex. ... Roman men having anal sex. ...

Slang & related terms

Common slang terms in some gay communities include: pitcher (top), catcher (bottom), and switch-hitter or flip (versatile). In some languages "passive" and "active" are always used, rather than "bottom" or "top". Some gay men dislike the term "bottom" as they feel it has negative connotations, and prefer not to use that term or the corresponding "top".

In Japanese bondage and sexually themed anime and manga, especially shounen-ai and yaoi, a top is referred to as seme, a term from kabuki and martial arts. A bottom is referred to as uke, also a term from marital arts. Shibari ) is a Japanese verb that literally means to tie or to bind it is used in Japan to describe the artful use of twine to tie objects or packages. ... The main cast of the anime Cowboy Bebop (1998) (L to R: Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Ed Tivrusky, Faye Valentine, and Ein the dog) For the oleo-resin, see Animé (oleo-resin). ... Manga )   (pl. ... Shōnen-ai (少年愛 from 少年 shōnen young man + 愛 ai love) refers to anime or manga that deals with love between young men, especially of the bishonen variety. ... Cover of Selfish Love by Naduki Koujima. ... Seme ) is a Japanese term from exercises, especially martial arts, meaning to attack. see Seme (disambiguation) In anime and manga, especially shounen-ai, yaoi and hentai, seme is a general term for a partner in a relationship who is or is intended to be predominantly butch, a top, and/or... The Kabukiza in Ginza is one of Tokyos leading kabuki theaters. ... Hawaiian State Grappling Championships. ...

Power top refers to both a sexual and hierarchical position in a sexual relationship between men. The "power" in the term refers to the fact that the person is more dominant in non-sexual situations. It may also be used to describe a top who has lots of stamina. Contrast with powerbottom.^{[citation needed]} Human sexuality is the expression of sexual feelings. ... This article concerns how a man differs from women. ...

The term Total Top is used to describe a man who exclusively tops.

Top and bottom in BDSM

In BDSM, a top is a partner who takes the active, dominant role in sexual play (such as in flogging, bondage, servitude, humiliation). The top performs acts such as these upon the bottom, who takes on the submissive role for the duration of a scene. (Note: bottom has significant connotative differences from submissive or slave.) A collar is a common symbol in BDSM. Female bottom in bondage with leather monoglove BDSM is any of a number of related patterns of human sexual behavior. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Whipping on a post Flagellation is the act of whipping (Latin flagellum, whip) the human body. ... A model in bondage cuffs with a leg spreader In the context of BDSM, bondage involves people being tied up or otherwise restrained for pleasure. ... In BDSM, servitude is performing tasks and following orders as an aspect of being submissive. ... In BDSM, humiliation is one psychological technique a top may use on a bottom. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... In BDSM, a scene is a complete encounter. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Slave is a term often used in BDSM to connote a specific form of submissive. ...

A top filling the dominant role is not necessarily a dominant, and vice versa, and a bottom is not necessarily submissive. At one end of the continuum is a submissive who enjoys taking orders from a dominant but does not receive any physical stimulation. At the other is a bottom who enjoys the intense physical and psychological stimulation but does not submit to the person delivering them. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Top

The top may sometimes even be the partner who is following instructions, i.e., they top when, and in the manner, requested by the bottom. A person who applies sensation or control to a bottom, but does so to the bottom's explicit instruction is a service top. In a BDSM context a service top is a dominant who is dominant because the bottom desires or even requests it. ...

Topping from the bottom is a related BDSM term, meaning a person who wants to be dominated but simultaneously direct the top to do it according to their wishes. Topping from the bottom is usually considered poor practice amongst lifestyle BDSM devotees, although fairly common amongst the "BDSM curious" or newcomers who have had submissive fantasies but lack experience with a sexual dominant. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Hokusais The Dream of the Fishermans Wife is an artistic depiction of a sexual fantasy This article is about psychological fantasies. ...

Some people see all BDSM experience in the hands of a competent Dom/me as teaching limits and self-discipline, and therefore argue that setting hard limits is itself a subtle form of topping from the bottom, arguing there should be total trust and no preset assumptions. They would instead tend to view the concept of hard limits as another example of attempts by the sub to retain control and dictate to the dom/me what dominance is or is not okay, rather than experiencing genuine surrender and allowing trust to direct the scene. This is a minority view which although generally acknowledged, is not shared by most practitioners. Although limits are things that are not done in a scene in BDSM, play is often used as a way to expand on such limits. ...

Contrast this with the pure dominant, who might give orders to a submissive, or otherwise employ physical or psychological techniques of control, but might instruct the submissive to perform the act on him. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Dominant

A dominant is one who enjoys performing any of a variety of BDSM practices upon a submissive; or one who holds a dominant position within a relationship based upon dominance and submission (D/s). This enjoyment can spring from a simple desire for dominance or an enjoyment of the interplay of wills involved in such a scenario. A male dominant is often called a Dom; a female, a Domme or dominatrix. A collar is a common symbol in BDSM. Female bottom in bondage with leather monoglove BDSM is any of a number of related patterns of human sexual behavior. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Domination and submission (also known as D&s, Ds or D/s) is a set of psychosexual behaviors, customs and rituals relating to the giving and accepting of dominance of one individual over another in an erotic or lifestyle context. ... A dominatrix (from the Latin dominatrix, meaning a female ruler or mistress; plural dominatrices) or mistress is a woman who takes the dominant role in bondage and discipline, domination and submission or sado-masochistic sexual practices, which are commonly abbreviated as BDSM. The male equivalent is Master. ...

The main difference between a dominant and a top is that the dominant ostensibly does not follow instructions, although they are limited by what the submissive is willing to do. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Bottom

It should be noted that for bottoms who are not submissive, the bottom is most often the partner who is giving instructions—the top typically tops when, and in the manner, requested by the bottom. Failure to choose a trustworthy top can be very dangerous (see safeword), and even a trustworthy but overzealous top can inflict severe pain or injury by failing to pay attention to the bottom. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... A safeword[1] is a codeword or series of codewords that are sometimes used in BDSM to mean that a submissive (or bottom) is reaching a physical, emotional or moral boundary or for the dominant (or top) to stop the sceneplay. ...

Submissive

A submissive is one who enjoys having any of a variety of BDSM practices performed upon them by a dominant; or one who holds a submissive position within a relationship based upon dominance and submission (D/s). This enjoyment can spring from a simple desire for submission or an enjoyment of the interplay of wills involved in such a scenario. A submissive is also referred to as a "sub", where the dominant in a D/s relationship is the 'Dom.' A collar is a common symbol in BDSM. Female bottom in bondage with leather monoglove BDSM is any of a number of related patterns of human sexual behavior. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Domination and submission (also known as D&s, Ds or D/s) is a set of psychosexual behaviors, customs and rituals relating to the giving and accepting of dominance of one individual over another in an erotic or lifestyle context. ...

The main difference between a submissive and a bottom is that the submissive ostensibly does not give instructions, although they do set limits on what the Dominant can do. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

There are also indications that submissives substantially outnumber Dominants^{[citation needed]}, in both males and females. Professional Dominants provide stimulatory services (which may or may not include sex) for those unable to find a compatible partner for this activity.

There are some indications that preference in D/s activities follows a 'compensatory' pattern^{[citation needed]}, with people who have much power and responsibility in real life often preferring a submissive role; no hard scientific data to either confirm or reject this hypothesis seem to exist, however.

In many BDSM communities, there is a distinction between a submissive and a slave. In this context, a slave's goal is surrender and obedience. In contrast, a submissive tends to expect some gratification in return for his or her submission.

Switch

In BDSM, a switch is someone who participates in BDSM activities sometimes as a top and other times as a bottom or (in the case of domination and submission) sometimes as a dominant and other times as a submissive. Switches are very common; partners may switch roles based on mood, desire, or to allow each partner to experience their preferred activity. For example, a switch may be in a relationship with someone of the same primary BDSM orientation (e.g., two dominants), so switching provides each partner with an opportunity to realize his or her BDSM needs. A collar is a common symbol in BDSM. Female bottom in bondage with leather monoglove BDSM is any of a number of related patterns of human sexual behavior. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... If you are looking for the article on Domination and submission in BDSM, try Domination & submission (BDSM)! // Overview Domination and submission refers to a relationship between two subjects, who relate to each other in a hierarchical manner. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

It is also common for people to switch with different partners, such as when a person acts exclusively as a top with one partner and exclusively as a bottom with another.

The act of "switching" may also refer to a spontanaeous reversal of roles, initiated by the bottom, who then takes control.

A person who engages in self-bondage can be viewed as taking both roles simultaneously. Self-bondage is the practice of sexual bondage without a partner; that is to say, tying or otherwise restraining oneself for the purpose of sexual pleasure. ...

Contrast between "top" and "bottom" in sex vs BDSM

The terms "dominant" or "active" have been used for "top" in sex, and the terms "submissive" or "passive" have been used for "bottom", though these may be confusing as the sex in question need not be part of a dominance relationship, nor is the bottom necessarily "inactive" or less "active" than the top. By extension, the term "top" is also used in BDSM to mean a partner who applies stimulation to another, and who may or may not be dominant. A collar is a common symbol in BDSM. Female bottom in bondage with leather monoglove BDSM is any of a number of related patterns of human sexual behavior. ... In human sexual behavior, a dominant is one who enjoys performing any of a variety of BDSM practices upon a submissive; or one who holds a dominant position within a relationship based upon dominance and submission (DS). ...

Also, a top in BDSM need not be the 'insertive' sex partner; for example, a female dominant may command her submissive to penetrate her.

Sources

• BSDM dictionary
• BSDM education
• Different Loving: The World of Sexual Dominance and Submission ISBN 978-0-67-976956-9
• Dossie Easton, Janet W. Hardy. The New Topping Book. Greenery Press, 2003. ISBN 1-890159-36-0.
• Dominant (BDSM) on Wipipedia, the specialist BDSM wiki.
• The Control Book by Peter Masters
• Domsub.info - D/s Information and Resources

Look up Wiki in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

See also

• Domination & submission (BDSM)
• Sadism and masochism
• Slave (BDSM)
• Female dominance
• Male dominance
• switch (rod)
• List of sexual positions
• Paraphilia