Sexual partnering is broadly defined as the process through which MSM initiate their sexual relationships, whether their expectation is for a long-term relationship or brief sexual encounter. Nonetheless, perceptions that MSM have of potential sex partners within and outside of their own racial group, and the way these perceptions structure sexual partnering practices, have largely remained unexamined in social and behavioral research. As such, the expectations MSM have about sex partners of different racial groups and the role these expectations have on sexual partnering practices are important to consider, particularly in the context of the Internet. However, as a social construction, race permeates social interactions between individuals and is a lens through which social actors view the world ( Omi & Winant, 1986). Race represents a socially constructed concept ( Root, 2000), and using race to categorize individuals or predict behavior may be imprudent in some situations. For many, race is a key factor that determines preferences for sexual partners ( Ellingson & Schroeder, 2004). This is largely because the Internet allows for selectivity in responding to advances from potential sex partners, and permits men to market themselves in a variety of ways to attract sex partners with their preferred characteristics. The Internet facilitates the process in which men meet other men who possess their preferred characteristics. There is evidence of the presence of racial minority MSM on the Internet, as race-specific chat rooms have been identified on Web sites that cater to men looking to “hook up” with other men ( Carballo-Diéguez et al., 2006). Given these findings, the Internet may be a prime setting for racial minority MSM to meet sexual partners. Research suggests that racial minority MSM are more likely to be non-gay identified than White MSM ( Kennamer, Honnold, Bradford, & Hendricks, 2000 Stokes, Vanable, & McKirnan, 1996) and report experiencing stigma and discomfort in traditional gay social venues ( Beeker, Kraft, Peterson, & Stokes, 1998 Stokes & Peterson, 1998). Likewise, racial minority (i.e., Asian & Pacific Islander, Black, and Latino) men may constitute a large number of Internet-using MSM. For example, men who deliberately seek to have condomless sex with other men (a practice also referred to as “bareback” sex) can use the Internet to facilitate such encounters ( Carballo-Diéguez & Bauermeister, 2004 Carballo-Diéguez et al., 2006 Halkitis & Parsons, 2003 Halkitis, Parsons, & Wilton, 2003).
Certain groups of MSM may be more likely to use the Internet to meet male sex partners. A recently conducted meta-analysis of 15 studies examining use of the Internet among men who have sex with men (MSM) found that roughly 40% reported using the Internet to find sex partners ( Liau, Millett, & Marks, 2006).
The Internet has emerged as a widely accessed environment in which men interact with other men for sexual purposes.