Philippines has one of the most number of ‘sides’ on Grindr. What is it anyway?

Infographic from Grindr

Grindr Unwrapped, the gay dating app’s yearly anonymous compilation on dating trends and pop culture topics has named the Philippines one of top 5 places in the world with the most number of “sides.”

If you don’t already know what “side” means, here’s a brief introduction:

Sides, according to Grindr’s own definition, is someone who prefers other kinds of same-sex activity that are not topping or bottoming (anal or penetrative sex). This may include oral, masturbation, and other stuff. Anything but the butt.

This is a new development in the use of Grindr by Filipinos, who last year topped the most number of tops poll by the app—that is, the one who likes to give anal sex versus receiving it. Trinidad and Tobago topped the survey this 2023. While South Korea reportedly has the most number of bottoms.

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Coined in 2013 by sex therapist Dr. Joe Kort, side has recently risen in popularity as a preference among gay men, who don’t necessarily find pleasure in traditional same-sex roles.

According to a report by The Guardian last year, many sides experience widespread rejection and misunderstanding among the community, which views them as “lazy, immature, or even asexual.”

Meanwhile, other members find that doing sides—oral mostly—pose less risk compared to anal sex, especially when unprotected. This is particularly insightful at a time when the number of Filipinos infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) potentially fatal acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) continue to rise.

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According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the Philippines posted the fastest growing HIV case in Asia-Pacific with a 237-percent increase in annual new HIV infections from 2010-2020. At the same time, AIDS-related deaths increased by 315 percent.

This may partly explain the rise in gay Filipino men identifying as side. Nevertheless, the rise of sides signal an ever-changing spectrum in sexual preference among the LGBTQIA+ community.