DAE Hate Being Sexualized?
I (27M) know this experience is something that predominantly effects women, but I've never heard another man describe feeling the same way I do.
I absolutely despise being viewed in a sexual way. The thought of someone looking at me with sexual interest makes me feel incredibly vulnerable, exposed, and objectified to a degree I can't really put into words. It's not just that I dislike the attention, it genuinely makes my skin crawl. If someone shows even the slightest sign of being sexually attracted to me, I almost instantly lose any attraction I had to them. Instead, I start seeing them as repulsive or perverted, even though I know that's an irrational reaction.
It's not limited to strangers or hookups, either. Even if I genuinely like someone and could see myself dating them, the moment I become aware that they view me sexually, it's like a switch flips. I suddenly feel deeply uncomfortable around them and want to distance myself.
For context, I don't have any sexual trauma, and I'm not asexual but I am gay, and I have a normal sex drive. I do experience sexual attraction toward other men, so the issue isn't sex itself. It's specifically the feeling of being the object of someone else's sexual desire that I find deeply unsettling.
I'd really like to know if there are any other men who experience this, because I've genuinely never come across anyone who does. I want to understand why I feel this way and whether it's something I can change, but I have no idea where to begin.
Has anyone else experienced something similar? If so, were you able to overcome it?
Posted Jun 27, 2026, 10:16 AM UTC