DEAR DR. NERDLOVE: My girlfriend and I have recently expressed the need to explore new things in our sex life. One of the areas we found each other gravitating towards is the idea of having a threesome.
I’m straight, she’s bi, so our first instinct would be to look for a female partner, but we honestly have no idea how to start or approach the question: we’ve looked into dating apps or creating an online profile for our couple, but we’re having a tough time with the “unicorn hunting” question. Both in a moral sense (a lot of people have raised the question of straight/bi couples looking for an occasional sexual partner in the lgbtqia+ community being unethical or offensive), and also in a practical one.
We’re not interested (at least for now) in being romantically involved with someone outside our relationship or in becoming poly, but, at the same time, we’re finding it hard to start this journey, and are wondering what are the best ways to start and better educate ourselves in the matter.
Thank you very much, as always.
Hunting Party
DEAR HUNTING PARTY: I’m gonna be honest HP: the term “unicorn” is a personal pet-peeve, if only because I feel it’s the wrong word. I feel that a woman who’s interested and open to threesomes with a hetero couple is more appropriately called an “okapi”: they exist but they’re incredibly rare, while unicorns don’t exist.
But that’s just me being annoyingly pedantic. Anyway, no, you and your girlfriend aren’t wrong about the tendency of hetero couples going out looking for bi or pan women as potential threesomes as being squicky or offensive. A lot of the people who do this tend to treat their special guest star as a disposable commodity, instead of a person, and Christ knows my bi and pan friends have complained about the undercover unicorn hunters who hide the fact that they’re really just looking for a third. More often than not, it seems like they quit reading as soon as they hit “bisexual” and then just assumed that any bi or pan person would be down to clown. It’s pretty insulting when someone thinks that the person they’re flirting with online is genuinely interested in dating her, only to find out that it was a stalking horse situation that lead to being told that she was really just a tool to spice up someone else’s relationship.
Now that doesn’t mean that wanting a threesome is inherently bad or unethical… it’s the way that people go about it that’s the problem. There are, after all, adventurous folks out there who are down for it. So how do you go about a) finding someone who’s open to an occasional threesome and b) do so in an open, up front and ethical manner?
Well, the first and most obvious answer is to hire a sex worker who sees couples. This neatly solves a number of problems; they know exactly what’s on offer and you’re compensating them for their time and effort. Plus, once the encounter’s over, they’re going to take off, eliminating potential post-coital awkwardness. Find an independent escort in your area, check her reviews, fill out her screening questions, pay her fee and make arrangements for your date. It’ll also be helpful to know exactly what sort of experience you want: is this going to be more of a voyeuristic experience, are you and the escort going to be focused on your girlfriend, are she and your girlfriend going to be focused on you, etc. Oh, and be sure to tip well after. It’s just the polite thing to do.
The next option would be to look a little closer to home. Many times, the best potential (non-professional) thirds is an ex. If you or your girlfriend have an ex who you’re on good terms with and who enjoys some sexual adventures, it may well be worth your time to reach out and see if they’d be interested. The pre-existing relationship means that (hopefully) it’ll be a more comfortable and less-awkward experience. Plus, that previous relationship will mean that you (or your girlfriend, depending) will already have a good idea about what they’re into, what turns them on and where their lines are.
The third option is to let the unicorn (or okapi) come to you. Part of why so many people in the LGBTQ community dislike unicorn hunters is because of the objectification and assumptions about bi and pan people, as well as the frequent bait-and-switch nature. However if you hang up your shingle – making it clear what you’re looking for – and let interested parties approach you instead, then you avoid a lot of the potential ethical quandaries and nastiness. You’re allowing for folks to decide in advance if this is something they’d be in to, rather than baiting them or tricking them into it.
One thing that will help in finding a potential third is to pick the right app. While Tinder and OKCupid may be the 500 lb gorillas of the dating app space, there’re apps specifically for kinky, adventurous and/or non-monogamous people. You’re much more likely to find potential thirds on apps like Feel’d or #Open, where the users have self-selected as being into hooking up with or dating couples. Create a profile that clearly features the both of you, be open and transparent about what you’re looking for and what you’re available for. If you’re only looking for an occasional special guest, be up front about that. You don’t want someone who’s looking to be part of a triad or throuple if what you two want is just occasional adventures. If a likely prospect comes along and you get a good vibe from them, make a date for the three of you to get together in public and get to know one another. This is emphatically just for meeting each other and doing your due diligence. You want to make sure the three of you have chemistry, that they’re in good emotional working order and are looking for the same things you are.
If you all get along, this is also a good time to discuss the ground rules for your first time. It’s going to be important that you three have an idea of what is or isn’t going to happen, especially if you and your girlfriend haven’t done this before. Even when everyone’s eager and rarin’ to go, it’s easy to be blindsided by unexpected feels when you see someone else going to town on your sweetie. You may, for example, want to reserve penetration for you and your girlfriend, or leave penetrative sex off the table entirely for the first time. You also want to make sure you have plans about what happens afterwards. You two may not necessarily be up for having a third sleeping in the same bed (or have the room, for that matter). At the same time, saying “that was nice, now get out” is pretty damn rude to do to someone who was part of this great experience.
One thing that may help solve logistics would be to get a hotel room with two beds; this at least gives the option of your guest staying if she chooses, but without the potential discomfort of trying to sleep in a puppy pile afterwards.
I would also like to encourage my LGBTQ readers who’ve either been the special guest or found guests of their own to share their tips and experiences in the comments; hearing from folks who’ve been there (especially as the third) can help make the process smoother and more enjoyable for everyone.
And hey, congratulations on your upcoming adventure. Hope it all goes well for everyone!
Good luck.
Please send your questions to Dr. NerdLove at his website (www.doctornerdlove.com/contact); or to his email, doc@doctornerdlove.com