23. The hole and the human dildos with Dr Matt Kimberley and Dr Anthony Gifford

We have a first for The Kinky Coffee Break - a threeway! I’m joined by not one but TWO special guests for this episode - Dr Matt Kimberley and Dr Anthony Gifford, who are here to chat with me about their research into cumdumps.

Now, before you listen, we invite you to note down what you think a cumdump is, and what your assumptions are around power dynamics and motivations. Then, at the end, reflect on where you think those ideas and assumptions originated from and how accurate they were.

Matt and Anthony have recently published their study of bi and gay men who identify as cumdumps and they look at this through the lens of pleasure, power, identity. It’s super refreshing and encouraging to see more research, similar to our episode on Pup Play with Dr Liam Wignall, that looks at kink through a positive lens rather as a form of pathology.

Their work focuses on this as a distinct sexual subculture, filling the holes (pun intended!) that are left when collective or group sex is seen as one amorphous thing. We get to learn what it is specifically about cumdumping that appeals to and benefits the bottoms, what it entails, and how they go about organising such an event. It’s a deeply fascinating conversation!

Dr Matt Kimberley (he/they) is a lecturer within the Department of Psychology and Counselling, where he leads the Gender, sexuality and intimate relationships research cluster. His own research broadly centres around sexual communication; fantasy and desire; sexual subcultural identity; and inequalities linked to sexuality or relationship diversity. This began with their PhD research at Staffordshire University which explored how factors specific to an individual’s relationship and fantasy content influenced decisions of whether to disclose a sexual fantasy or not.

Dr Anthony Gifford (he/him) is a psychologist and lecturer with broad interests in sexual health and wellbeing, particularly among marginalised populations. His PhD research examined the psychosocial influences on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the UK, contributing to a deeper understanding of HIV prevention decision-making. He has also conducted research on HIV anxiety, sexual satisfaction, and diverse identity development. Working in collaboration with partners across the UK and internationally, Anthony is passionate about LGBTQ+ psychology and committed to emancipatory research that promotes equity, inclusion, and social betterment

The full article, ‘So, it’s like they’re a human dildo for me … ‘: exploring the experiences and motivations of individuals who identify as a ‘cumdump’ is available online here.

You can check out the rest of my kink-related work at www.pleasurerebels.com and https://linktr.ee/pleasurerebels.