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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

I think my husband might be gay

179 replies

Jjlrb47922 · 09/06/2021 12:13

Looking for advice please. I think my husband might be gay or bisexual. We have been together for 20 years since we were teenagers. We are married with two children.
Don't want to go into too much detail but bit of background, he had a lot of gay friends when we first met and would go to gay clubs with them. I used to sometimes go too as there was a large group of us, some gay and some straight. Never saw anything suspicious from him. Once we'd been together a couple of years we lost touch with these friends as they moved away. We also stopped going out clubbing and moved in together. A couple of years later I came across a gay chat room window open on our pc. Somehow it got clicked off very quickly and I couldn't get back on it. Asked him about it, he said must have been an advert. Asked him was he gay /bisexual, said no. I thought this was strange.
Many years passed. Nothing else happened to raise any suspicions. We went on to get married and have 2 kids. We've never had a lot of sex and when we did it was very vanilla, but since having the kids we don't have sex at all and we sleep in separate rooms. (my idea as I snore). So there is no intimacy anymore.
It has still always been in the back of my mind and I would sometimes bring it up in a jokey way and he would deny. The lack of sex started to raise my suspicions further.

Fast forward to now, I have been away for a few days with the children. He stayed home to have his second covid vaccine and to decorate some rooms, which he has done. This morning I needed to go into his emails for something (which he allows me to to) and there was an order for a sex toy on there that is related to anal sex. With extra paid for next day delivery so it would arrive when I was away. Intrigued I looked further back over the past year and have found a couple of other things.
Nothing really indicates that he has cheated on me, he's a home body and is either at work or home with us, so I really don't know when he could actually meet up with someone. I don't know if these things are for self use only but it definitely related to gay men, not straight sex.
I have been in his room and searched every inch of it and can't find any of these items. I've also been through all of the bins outside. So they aren't here.

What do I do now? I want to confront him immediately when he gets in tonight but I don't know if that is a good idea, and the children will be here.
I am a sahm with no money of my own. He pays for everything. We have been drifting apart for years and I've been contemplating a split anyway. But I feel like I need to tread carefully and maybe gather further evidence but I don't know how. I don't have anyone to talk to about this in real life so really need some advice on how to tread with this.

Just a note, I know not all gay men are camp or "look gay" or anything like that, I don't want this to come a cross as offensive. But my husband is a rugged, big, masculine guy who is actually quite homophobic. No one would ever guess in a million years if he was

OP posts:
Juneisjoyful · 09/06/2021 14:34

Firstly I would consider an sti test.
My exh was a Catholic and slated gays as did his dps.
He avoided sex. And then only in 1 position.. Sorry tmi.
He once became obsessed with one of my sex toys. In himself.. Until he sobered up and denied it!
Eventually I moved out and we divorced.. He had an affair with my ll.
Keith.

ThePlantsitter · 09/06/2021 14:38

The thing is that in the context of a different marriage it might be ok to buy sex toys for your own use. Not in mine, but everybody is different. The point is it's not OK with YOU and you think your husband is gay. You are in a much better position to know this than anyone on the internet.

I suppose you need to ask yourself what it would take to convince you he isn't AND even if that happened would you still want to be married to him? And if you're not happy with the way things are, what can you do to change them - bearing in mind you can't change him and probably not his behaviour either?

bluelemming · 09/06/2021 14:40

Is the house in your sole name OP? Or did your father gift it to both of you?

MMmomDD · 09/06/2021 14:57

@Jjlrb47922

It’s unclear from your post how your sex live came to a halt and what conversations of any you had about it.
It is clear that you aren’t very close on a physical level. You seem to despise him rather than missing sex with him.
So - on that information - him buying toys for himself isn’t disrespectful. He is entitled to his privacy and solo experiences.

But again - you are in shock and not in the best place to make any decisions. Think about what you want in life and then plan.

SuperstoreFan · 09/06/2021 15:08

I don't see him buying sex toys to use on himself as disrespectful when you're not having sex with each other.

He's entitled to masturbate and he hasn't got to run it by you.

SkodaKodiaq · 09/06/2021 15:19

How on earth can a man who is buying penis-shaped toys to insert into his anus (along with poppers which the sole function is to relax anal muscles for anal sex) NOT mean he is gay/bi?!?!

I don't mean to make light of OP's heartbreaking situation (Thanks) but what the heck are people trying to say here? That men can still be straight whilst inserting silicone penises into their anus????? Genuinely???

Im sorry but my vote is that unfortunately, it seems to me that he is indeed, gay or bi.

Surely simulating gay sex using silicone & poppers is re-enacting gay sex?

Im sorry if I sound vulgar but I'm genuinely staggered that some think this is normal for straight men! To me, it's no different than a woman buying a silicone vulva to....lick?

Anyway, if it turns out he is gay/bi then of course it needs to end. Sadly. He needs to find what makes him happy - as do you! ThanksThanksThanks

puffyisgood · 09/06/2021 15:20

Having gay friends/visiting gay friends certainly doesn't make him gay.

Having [by the sounds of things] a lowish sex drive certainly doesn't make him gay.

Enjoying a degree of, ahem, anal stimulation of some kind certainly doesn't make him gay.

The chat rooms seem like big a red flag.

But, I mean, really, what matters is how good your life is with him vs how good your life would be without him [short, medium, and long term], only you can answer that.

MissyB1 · 09/06/2021 15:21

Stop obsessing about the sex toys/ gay thing, and concentrate on ending this dead in the water marriage. You are married to a controlling man and you have no sex life, seriously why are you still there? You do have choices.

ComtesseDeSpair · 09/06/2021 15:33

@SkodaKodiaq

How on earth can a man who is buying penis-shaped toys to insert into his anus (along with poppers which the sole function is to relax anal muscles for anal sex) NOT mean he is gay/bi?!?!

I don't mean to make light of OP's heartbreaking situation (Thanks) but what the heck are people trying to say here? That men can still be straight whilst inserting silicone penises into their anus????? Genuinely???

Im sorry but my vote is that unfortunately, it seems to me that he is indeed, gay or bi.

Surely simulating gay sex using silicone & poppers is re-enacting gay sex?

Im sorry if I sound vulgar but I'm genuinely staggered that some think this is normal for straight men! To me, it's no different than a woman buying a silicone vulva to....lick?

Anyway, if it turns out he is gay/bi then of course it needs to end. Sadly. He needs to find what makes him happy - as do you! ThanksThanksThanks

Because homo/hetero sexuality is primarily about the sex (or in some cases, gender) of the people you are attracted to. A man enjoying an anal sex toy doesn’t mean he’s gay, any more than a straight woman who likes receiving oral sex or even prefers it to PIV must be a lesbian; or a lesbian who likes using “penis shaped” dildos with her female partners is actually straight.

MissyB1 has it right though. He’s a controlling man and you aren’t happy. Everything else is irrelevant.

Imasoulman · 09/06/2021 15:37

I don't think that the sex toy particularly points to him being gay, I am straight and it's something that I have considered especially as I get older.

The poppers I really don't know about but if they enhance anal play then I guess they fit in here.

Maybe he is just bored, frustrated or is having problems getting satisfaction in other ways

I can see why you would be suspicious of his intentions though, I wonder how old he is.

You don't need to gather evidence to divorce him, if you can't live with what you have discovered on top of everything else then you will never be happy and always suspicious.

Jjlrb47922 · 09/06/2021 15:45

Further update, I found an old phone of his in his wardrobe, I've been through absolutely everything on it and found some sexual photos taken over the past few years of himself when I know I was out of the house and/or he was away on business. Dick picks. I would gather these are for men also. Also photos of him just posing. All very strange because he's very introverted. They were seemingly taken to either send to someone or to upload to some site or other (can't find anything on those).
What I find the most hurtful is that he is doing this when I'm out taking care of his children. He's always hard to contact when I'm out, he rarely answers to phone to me and I always think he's busy, yet I find he has plenty of time to do this.

OP posts:
kiddo5467 · 09/06/2021 15:46

@puffyisgood

Having gay friends/visiting gay friends certainly doesn't make him gay.

Having [by the sounds of things] a lowish sex drive certainly doesn't make him gay.

Enjoying a degree of, ahem, anal stimulation of some kind certainly doesn't make him gay.

The chat rooms seem like big a red flag.

But, I mean, really, what matters is how good your life is with him vs how good your life would be without him [short, medium, and long term], only you can answer that.

Having gay friends and visiting gay friendly venues definitely doesn't make him gay. However, doing this will being "homophobic" is a bit of a red flag?!

In what way is he homophobic OP? Things he says to you? If so, have you not challenged on the contradiction?

Jjlrb47922 · 09/06/2021 15:49

@ComtesseDeSpair no I don't and I take responsibility for that. I do have a part to play.
But I am glad now that I didn't, and I certainly won't be again, as I don't know where he's been!! Even if he hasn't, he wants to!!

OP posts:
Actuallyabitgreynow · 09/06/2021 15:58

There are many, many gay men who are into anal play.

Something feeling good for them sexually is completely unrelated to them being attracted to other men.

Actuallyabitgreynow · 09/06/2021 15:59

Should have RTFT. Sorry OP!

SuperstoreFan · 09/06/2021 16:11

I thought you had searched every inch of his room?

BuffySummersReportingforSanity · 09/06/2021 16:12

That men can still be straight whilst inserting silicone penises into their anus????? Genuinely???

Um, yeah, of course they can. Do you think lesbians don't use dick-shaped things on themselves? They absolutely do, because duh, the same stuff feels good for them as does for straight women when it comes to where the joy buttons are. That doesn't mean they want to have sex with an actual man.

Anything that stimulates the prostate (which is where the good feeling stuff is inside the anus, for a man) is by definition going to be broadly penis-shaped, because only something long and thin(ish) and curved is going to do the job.

BuffySummersReportingforSanity · 09/06/2021 16:12

Also, if being homophobic makes you gay, half of MN is gay, judging by the shite that gets spouted on here.

Freebleweeble · 09/06/2021 16:12

Just wondering OP, it feels like the marriage is not a good place for you, and I agree with a lot of posters here that the evidence might not point to him being gay, but for you, if he was, would that be the reason to leave that you are waiting for?
It would make things a lot clearer perhaps, and put the fault firmly on his side?
What is keeping you from separating without this issue?

Sittingonabench · 09/06/2021 16:27

The gay/bi issue is a red herring and tbh it won’t do you any favours jumping to conclusions. The actions of themselves may hurt you but you seem to be upset at things that you are also party to I.e you seem more upset about sex toys than about his secrecy. The lack of intimacy is normally as a result of a breakdown of intimacy from both sides. Your marriage is not in a good way and it seems these discoveries are allowing you to blame him, but your marriage wasn’t in a good way before - why? Did you ever speak to him about why from his perspective you weren’t intimate? As for poppers they were all over in the 90’s - and many women have sex toys so I’m not jumping to gay from that. The pics are suspicious and indicate some level of infidelity but again I wouldn’t jump to gay. And ultimately as other people have said I’m not sure why it matters? If he is straight do you intend to fight for your marriage and make it work? If not then it’s just semantics and clouding the issue.

Geanna2 · 09/06/2021 16:33

Being gay isn't all about sticking things up your bum you know. Some men just enjoy prostate massage during masturbation because it enhances orgasm. It doesn't mean they are gay. Not sleeping in the same room is one thing but policing his masturbation (if that's all this is) suggests there's a lot more wrong in the relationship than just hubby buying a butt plug without permission.

TellingBone · 09/06/2021 16:37

OP, you may be right. You probably are right. You're focusing on the wrong issue.

There are two possible scenarios. If:

a: It is true. Is this then the last straw? If you want to split then you need to make plans.

b: It isn't true. Do you still wish to carry on with the marriage? If you want to split then you need to make plans.

Either way, start focusing on what outcome you want.

66babe · 09/06/2021 16:39

Would you consider asking him if you could remain parents but live separate lives under one roof ( pretty much do anyway) as neither of you seem very happy or fulfilled
I'd maybe not bring up the sex toy as it could even be for someone else ?
Maybe if the conversation was amicable and open ended he may be honest?

Jjlrb47922 · 09/06/2021 16:39

@SuperstoreFan I have. I found the phone then but had to charge it to look at it later

OP posts:
rainbowstardrops · 09/06/2021 16:39

Hmm it doesn't look great does it. I think you need to confront him and go from there.

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