Bussinismus: An Introduction to the Pleasure, Pain, Power, and Politics of Bottoming

Painful experience for the cisgender queer male Bottom (i.e., the receptive partner) during same-sex anal penetration is frequently presented as a norm in queer communities. The prevalence of this phenomenon has perceivably conditioned Bottoms to expect pain as a part of receptive anal intercourse. Studies on hegemony, hegemonic masculinity, and heteronormativity nevertheless highlight painful penetrative experience as a consequence of Bottom-identifying partners being conceptualized as inferior to Tops (i.e., the feminine partner); as well as Bottom pleasure being deemed unimportant during sexual engagement. To disrupt these perceptions, the author uses this autoethnographic paper to highlight the term "bussy" (buh-see) as a culturally specific representation of the queer cisgender Black male anus. The author then introduces bussinismus (buh-see-niz-muhs) as a mental, emotional, and physical precursor to penetrative pain. The concept of bussinismus is compared with extant literature and explored as a phenomenon infrequently and inadequately addressed in previous research. Bussinismus is also used to emphasize the ways hegemony and heteronormativity can fundamentally distort cisgender queer male sexual interactions. The extant literature is then scrutinized for its level of applicability to the experiences of Black cisgender queer male Bottoms; and is critiqued for its participation in perpetuating heteronormative ideals in queer relationships.