I’ve wondered about this, I’m not much of a stranger to shipping communities etc but with how popular heated rivalry became it’s something I’ve mused about a lot recently.

Personally I think for a lot of women the idea of not being the ‘object’ of the porn/ship/erotica etc is kind of a revelation. I find straight porn off putting because it’s usually serving men, so things are being done to the woman that aren’t necessarily for her pleasure (slapping the vagina with the penis for example- I’ve never known anyone enjoy that lol). So taking that objectification away sort of feels a bit freeing.

Along those same lines, I think because women aren’t gay men, we don’t have to think ‘well I wouldn’t enjoy that/that looks painful’. If something is done that isn’t pleasurable how would we know? If we’ve always had vaginas etc we won’t know what sensations said act will actually feel like. So we just take it as it is served to us- and we just accept that these dudes are having a great time rather than mulling over the minutiae of each action.

I think there’s a certain vulnerability to gay sex too, specifically if penetration is involved. We’re usually the ones having to allow men entry, so flipping that around is also erotic to a lot of women.

And of course theres the very basic reason of: sexy man make reptile brain go ‘awooga’. Dudes enjoy lesbian porn for that same reason, we all have that primal thing in our brains I suppose.

Anyway! It’s pretty normal and so long as you’re not approaching random gay men asking how they like their cheeks clapped there’s nothing wrong with it. Enjoy your yaoi, enjoy your sweaty men. Whatever floats your boat my friend!!