What does gay chastity mean, and what’s the difference between a chastity belt and chastity cage?

Chastity cages, sometimes referred to as c**k cages, are kinky sex toys popular in the LGBT+ BDSM community and are used for erection and orgasm denial.

Modern chastity cages have their origins in chastity belts, worn by women as far back as the 15th century. The heavy metal devices were, horrifically, used by men who were concerned their often much younger wives would sleep with other men.

Later, in the 19th and 20th centuries, they were used to prevent masturbation by women and girls, as self-pleasure was thought to cause physical and mental health problems.

Thankfully times have moved on, and chastity devices have now become popular among BDSM communities. With the advent of porn sites, cages for people with penises have become more and more common, especially among gay and bisexual men.

As one anonymous chastity cage user explained for the Guardian: “Although they come in a multitude of sizes, colours and materials, all are designed to prevent the wearer from getting an erection.

“They generally consist of three pieces: a ring that sits behind the testicles; a cage that fits tightly around the flaccid penis; and a lock to hold the two other components together.”

CagedJock, as he is known online, has become a figurehead for the growing community of gay chastity cage users, with more than 165,000 followers on Twitter.

He told Out: “The arousal factor for me is losing control and handing it over to your partner.

“A lot of people think practicing chastity [as a kink] means abstinence, and that’s not true. It’s not about totally denying sex or cumming, it’s about letting your partner decide how and when that happens.”

For some gay and bisexual men, chastity has become a lifestyle

While many people used chastity cages exclusively in the bedroom, for others chastity has become a lifestyle.

One anonymous submissive, who identifies himself online “SelfAuthoredSub”, told Out that he wears chastity cages in his day-to-day life.

He said that at the time he first tried chastity, he was filming and looking at a lot of porn, which is where he first saw men “wear chastity [cages] in their natural state, so underneath jeans or to work”.

“It made me understand this wasn’t only a sex toy,” he said. “It was a way of life.”

He added: “The longest I’ve gone so far has been 430 days. At a certain point, I just forgot that the cage was there; it is just normalised.

“When I’m going to the bathroom, I go to the stall and sit down. Because of the cage, I’m hyper aware of whether there’s any drippage or if anything gets on my pants.

“It’s really a part of the way I live and think about myself.”

A hacker once used men’s electronic chastity cages to hold their penises to ransom

Recently, several fans of chastity cages almost found themselves in a bit of a tight spot, after a hacker took control of their electronic devices.

The men were using the Cellmate Chastity Cage, a chastity cage that can be locked by a trusted partner remotely over Bluetooth using a mobile app, but it is not password protected, meaning it can easily be hacked.

The hacker seized control of a number of chastity cages and told men that they would have to pay him a fee in bitcoin, which totalled around $750 (£531) in order to regain control.

Luckily, the men weren’t wearing the devices at the time. Because chastity cages are locked with a metal ring underneath the user’s penis, it would likely have to be removed using a heavy-duty bolt cutter.