Fisting

Fisting's emergence as a sexual practice is commonly attributed to gay male culture. whereas others assert the practice dates back to the eighteenth century or earlier. Sex educator Robert Morgan Lawrence, for example, claimed the practice dates back thousands of years. Fisting gained visibility and popularity around the time of the gay liberation movement. Whereas until the 1960s fisting was generally confined to the bedroom, By 1973, gay bars, bathhouses and clubs such as the Red Star Saloon in South of Market, San Francisco were publicly advertising fisting. and Red Hanky Express. , a gay and lesbian fisting club.By 1980, associations had formed in major cities around the world for fisters to meet, play, and socialize with like-minded men, including "Fist Fuckers of America" (FFA), "Total Ass Involvement League" (TAIL), and "Mid America Fists In Action" (MAFIA). FFA registered as a non-profit under the pseudonym "Fall Festival Association." TAIL was founded in the early 1970s and included members in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia. MAFIA was founded in Chicago in 1978 and remains active as of 2025. Fisting parties became a major social activity for "dedicated handballers," some of whom attended as many as three each month. Crisco was commonly used as a fisting lubricant since it was inexpensive and widely available, As a result, Crisco became a euphemism for fisting in gay slang. The onset of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s claimed the lives of countless fisters, many of whom were particularly vulnerable due to the common pairing of fisting with unprotected anal sex and drugs. Meanwhile, cities such as San Francisco and New York forcibly closed gay establishments that—accurately or not—were believed to permit unsafe sex, including fisting. Although closures were supported by some members of the gay community, many regarded the closures as a product of anti-gay hysteria as well as anti-sex attitudes and disapproval of gay sexual activity in particular. likely due in large part to the internet and greater HIV prevention and treatment options. Fisting pornography is now widely available online and fisters can easily meet via social media platforms, some of which are tailored for fisting (e.g. Recon). Gay bathhouses have made a comeback, with some once again hosting and advertising fisting parties. == Techniques ==

Trust between partners is generally imperative to ensure physical and psychological safety and enjoyment. Oftentimes, hands are inserted up to the wrist. Lubricants designed specifically for fisting or with fisting as an intended use are widely available in some countries. Fisters commonly use sex toys to loosen the anus or vagina before or during a fisting session. Sometimes a penetrative partner may insert their penis or a sex toy at the same time as their hand(s), to masturbate inside the receptive partner's rectum or vagina. Douching is common before anal fisting both for aesthetic purposes and to reduce risk of fecal contamination. == Terminology ==

According to The Routledge Dictionary of Modern American Slang and Unconventional English, "fisting" and "fist fuck" entered the American slang lexicon no later than 1969. commonly abbreviated as "FF" or "FFun." • Handball: synonym for fisting • Fister; fist-fucker: a practitioner of fisting; or, depending on context, a penetrative partner ("top") in a fisting session involving two or more people. • Bloom (verb): the act of inducing a rosebud or prolapse. or brachioproctic/brachiovaginal insertion. "Fisting" and "handballing" are often used interchangeably, but some consider the former term to be crude or violent and perceive the latter as more closely associated with "intimate love-making and spiritual communion." ==Risks==

Safe enjoyment of fisting requires an understanding of potential risks and techniques for mitigating them. Sexual activities that force air into the vagina can lead to a fatal air embolism, predominantly during pregnancy. A 2021 study found that men who practiced anal fisting were more likely to experience fecal incontinence than men who engaged in other forms of anal sex, but more research is required to establish a causal link and determine whether this is temporary or long-term. According to Barcelos, "clinical and forensic research has over-inflated the 'dangers' of fisting without an understanding of contexts in which fisting takes place", and that anal and vaginal fisting present "low to no risk" of sexually transmitted infections. == In popular culture ==

References to fisting can be found in art, music, cinema and other forms of popular culture. Examples include: Art • The San Francisco South of Market Leather History Alley, opened in 2017, honors Steve McEachern (owner of the Catacombs) • Erotic photography by Robert Mapplethorpe, including "Double Fist Fuck" (1977), "Fist Fuck / Full Body" (1978), "Helmut Fist Fuck" (1978), and "Helmut and Brooks, N.Y.C." (1978). • Erotica by Tom of Finland, Dom Orejudos, Bill Schmeling, Chuck Arnett, Gengoroh Tagame, John Klamik, and Drubskin • Hanky Panky (2020) by Kent Monkman Performance art • In Solar Anus (1999), Ron Athey challenged the feminization and sexual roles associated with male penetration by both giving and receiving penetration through self-fisting. • In Being Green (2009), Jess Dobkin was fisted while dressed as the hand puppet Kermit the Frog. • In 2013, Detroit-based artist Jerry Vile placed a 4-ft. tall can of Crisco in front of the fist-shaped Monument to Joe Louis for "helping to ease the pain of Detroit's bankruptcy." Music • The album cover for Slide... Easy In by Rod McKuen (1977) depicts gay porn star Bruno's fist clenching "Disco" shortening. The inscription states "this was a project everyone had to get into; not just on the surface, but deeply—and together. If you don't feel "easy in" then perhaps your threshold of pain or pleasure needs looking into." • "Krisco Kisses" (1984) by Frankie Goes to Hollywood • "Stinkfist" (1996) by Tool • Music video for "House of Air" (2017) by Brendan Maclean '', which made headlines in 2013 for what was widely considered a fisting joke Film • Caligula (1979) • Cruising (1980) • South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999) • Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) Pornographic films • Drive (1974) • Candy Strippers (1978) • The Other Side of Aspen (1978) • Erotic Hands (1980) • Tampa Tushy Fest, Part 1 (1999) Television • In 1993, Julian Clary joked "I've just been fisting Norman Lamont 'round the corner" during a live broadcast of the British Comedy Awards viewed by 13 million people. • In South Park season 5 episode 14 ("Butters' Very Own Episode," December 2001), Butters' father watches the film "Fisting Firemen 9" at a gay adult theater. • Judges and contestants on ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' and its spin-offs are known to sometimes make fisting-related jokes. Literature • All trilogy (1969–1971) by Dirk Vanden • ''The Fist Fucker's Manual'' (circa 1970) by Art Hamilton • Faggots (1978) by Larry Kramer • The Divine Androgyne According To Purusha (1981) by Purusha Larkin • ''The Intelligent Man's Guide to Handball (The Sexual Sport)'' (1983) by R.A. Fournier • Trust: The Handbook: A Guide to the Sensual and Spiritual Art of Handballing (1991) by Bert Herrman • Catacombs, sex club in San Francisco (1975 to 1981, reopened at another location from 1982 to 1984) • La Fistinière, fisting guesthouse in Assigny, France (2007–2018) • Le One Way, gay bar and sex club in Paris, France , a fisting club in France International Fisting Day In 2011, adult performers Jiz Lee and Courtney Trouble designated October 21 as "International Fisting Day" to promote visibility and to protest pornography companies' refusal to distribute films depicting fisting. Other • In the handkerchief code, the color red signifies interest in fisting. • In 1980, Drummer reported plans for an annual "Mr. Fist Contest" organized by the Rodeo Riders, a Chicago-based leather club. , the color red signifies interest in fisting. == Legal status ==

In some nations, fisting—particularly anal fisting—has historically been censored and criminalized due to its association with gay sex and characterization by critics as an obscene and deviant act. and fisting pornography are both legal. However, until 2019, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) considered publication of fisting material to be grounds for prosecution under the Obscene Publications Act 1959 and Section 63 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, the latter of which prohibits so-called "extreme pornography." In 1998, the University of Central England was involved in a controversy when a library book by Robert Mapplethorpe was confiscated from a student by the police, who informed the university that two photographs in the book (including one involving fisting) would have to be removed. If the university agreed to the removal (which it did not) the book would be returned. The two photographs, which were deemed possibly prosecutable as obscenity, included "Helmut and Brooks, NYC, 1978", which shows anal fisting. However, after a delay of about six months, the affair came to an end when Peter Knight, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, was informed that no legal action would be taken. In R v Peacock (2012), the jury found Michael Peacock not guilty of breaching the Obscene Publications Act for selling DVDs containing anal fisting. That same year, a jury took less than 90 minutes to acquit Simon Walsh for possession of images of anal fisting that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) alleged constituted illegal, extreme pornography. including fisting. Fisting was included on the Cambria List, meant to be a list of sex acts that carry risk of prosecution under U.S. obscenity law, created by Paul Cambria in 2001 to help producers avoid obscenity lawsuits. == See also ==