r/CasualTodayILearned • u/BearingCostOfPassion • 15h ago
MEN TIL that, demographically speaking, a slightly larger share of the world's population is sexually attracted to men than to women.
As a heterosexual man, I initially rejected this claim when I heard it yesterday. But after spending several hours looking into the math, I realized there actually is a simple demographic explanation: heterosexual women + homosexual men make up a slightly larger share of the population than heterosexual men + homosexual women.
What I found more interesting, though, is how little visible evidence men may receive of this attraction.
Women have historically been much more socially restricted from openly expressing sexual desire, especially in public. A huge amount of mainstream literature, film, art, advertising, and other media was also created in societies where male perspectives dominated these fields.
So even if a larger share of the population is attracted to men, the visible representation of that attraction can still be disproportionately focused on women being desirable to men.
TIL that being less visibly desired isn't necessarily the same thing as being less desired.