two men in bed

In this era of LED lamps and voice-activated lighting, it’s never been easier to set the scene for sexy times. So, when you’re getting down to business in the bedroom, how many lumens do you like?

Reddit users offered their preferences in a recent r/gay thread, with a few favoring complete darkness, many wanting mood lighting, and many more wanting full brightness… if not floodlights!

Here are comments from the thread:

Lights off

“Off, please.”

“Off. But I should be able to see. When your eyes sense less, other senses become more intensified.”

And in response: “You know what’s interesting is, I’m very much a lights-on guy, but I like being blindfolded for the exact reason you say. So maybe I’m an all or nothing guy!”

Lights partially on

“Soft lights forever—enough dark to be intimate but enough light to see the splendid body of my partner. Well, if I had a partner, lol.”

“I’m old-fashioned and stick with the scented candles method. Or maybe the light from our fireplace if we’re doing it in the living room.”

“A candle is nice.”

“15 percent lighting is what we tend to set our bedroom to. It’s just enough to see each other but also not light enough to cast shadows, lol.”

“Lights, but dim or colored. Red lighting is fun.”

Lights on

“On. I want to see everything.”

“On. I want to see what you do to me.”

“Want to have the whole sensual experience, I want to feel, see, taste, smell, hear us having sex.”

“We like the light… Not too bright, of course, unless we’re doing a video. We have colored rope lights around the perimeter of the bedroom. Nice for different moods. Then again, spontaneous sex in the middle of the night without lights is cool, too.”

“Lights on is my preference; however, fondling (and fumbling) in the dark certainly has its place now and then.”

“I prefer at least some lights on. I think I’m really visual, and so I get more turned on by seeing what’s happening. I’ve been with guys who like it dark and it’s less fun for me. Plus, I have to take my glasses off, so I’m already at a disadvantage.”

“I need a strobing mouthguard and flashing socks.” 

(We imagine that last comment is a joke, but hey, we’re not judging!)

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