LGBT+ Streamers should talk about their sexuality, and here's why

OK. Right off the bat I'm going to say this article wont be everyone's cup of tea. It's a controversial topic, but I wanted to put my opinions of the matter out there. I know that from the title alone, people are writing their angry tweets along the lines of:

'People don't want to be known for their sexuality..'
'Being gay doesn't mean you have to talk about sex...'
'Why cant they be like every other dudebro straight guy on twitch...?'

These are perfectly valid opinions, sure, but frankly you should get over yourself. People who advertise themselves as 'LGBT Streamers' want to be known for their sexuality. Many 'LGBT+' streamers use the fact their queer as their USP. (I won't call them out, mostly because they are far more successful than me and I'm jealous of them.) My green-eyed monster aside, I feel like if you are advertising yourself as a 'Gay' streamer and you have an audience, it's your job to try to inform and de-stigmatise your sexuality -- by talking about it.

Let's get one thing out in the open: SEX IS FUN. Yeah, I said it. More importantly, GAY SEX IS FUN. You're now saying to yourself, 'Well duh Jack, everyone knows this.', but I ask you: Why do people (streamers in this context) find talking about it beneath them? Why does talking about the 'sex' part of their 'sexuality' make them feel like they are degrading themselves?

If you're given a platform, no matter how big or small, you should use that to reach out and talk about important issues, especially if you're selling yourself as a gay person as one of the reasons people should watch you. You could use your platform to talk about things that frankly doesn't get any sort of light shed on them, help your viewers understand important parts of gay culture, sex, and experiences to help normalise them.

Christ, talk about having sex, talk about the awkward funny things that happen when you're being plowed like freshly driven snow. Talk about getting STD tested and being on PrEP, or your grindr horror stories. There is so much you could talk about use your experiences to teach lesser experienced people about the do's and dont's.

Here is the part where I tell people why everyone should stop watching other gays on twitch and watch me instead because I'm actually interesting. I'm not scared to talk about things like sex toys, or who makes the cutest underwear. Hell, I'll bring them on cam just to prove a point. You don't need to be ashamed -- just be open about it. I talk about different sexual experiences I've had and my own horror stories. I can say that I try my best to help 'educate' people watching my streams on how I live my life as a gay man, and all while playing video games poorly.

Jack Dixon is a gamer, cinephile, and more than likely he's the guy who's ignoring you on Grindr. Tweet him @Jackaphobia. Support his writing on Patreon!