Sex files: I was a lesbian magnet

The sex files, where we ask men and women to share their experiences and attitude towards dating, relationships and sex.

This week's theme

Twenty-four-year old American singer-songwriter Katy Perry shot to international fame with her song, I Kissed A Girl, earlier this year.

These are the lyrics of the song:

"I kissed a girl and I liked it

The taste of her cherry chapstick

I kissed a girl, just to try it

Hope my boyfriend don't mind it

It felt so wrong, it felt so right

Don't mean I'm in love tonight

I kissed a girl and I liked it...I liked it."

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Though Katy Perry's controversial song, I Kissed A Girl, did well on the Billboard charts, it was a big flop with the gay community. The song, and another one from an earlier album called Ur so gay, has been dissed by writers and columnists from the gay community.

Katy has claimed that her words, Ur so gay, did not mean, 'You're so lame', but that the guy should have been gay. She was talking about her ex boyfriend at the time.

Take a look at the Gym Class Heroes hit, Cupid's Chokehold, and you will find Katy Perry starring in the video. The lead singer Travis McCoy is her real-life boyfriend. It appears she is not lesbian; she just seems to have a penchant for writing controversial numbers.

We asked some straight people if they would kiss or have kissed people from the same sex and we got a variety of responses.

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Yes, I got kissed by a girl!

Tabassum Ali*, a married homemaker from Kolkata, says she earned the reputation of being a lesbian magnet at college.

"In college, for some reason, I was the lesbian magnet! I studied at an all-girls college in Kolkata, so lesbian activities were not uncommon. But I just could not understand why I was a magnet because I thought I was very straight in my actions. Plus, I was always hanging out with the boys after college.

"Someone once told me that short, petite, girly-looking girls were the 'target'. There I was, tall, thin, big hair, glasses, and yet--!"

*Name changed to protect identity

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Tried it?

Tabassum adds: "Once, a girl just cornered me in the college corridor when I excused myself to head to the washroom. I was aghast, yet it felt funny. She told me how much she loved me, and how she always looked at me playing volleyball from the college balcony. (Yikes!) And then, it happened! She leaned forward and, before I could react, planted a huge kiss on my lips. Then she just ran away.

"I just couldn't react for the next week or so. That was nine years ago. Even today, I wonder how on earth I allowed that to happen. It was gross and weird, yet hilariously funny."

Try it again?

"NO, I would NOT want to try it again, EVER! And don't ever tell this to my husband (smiles)," says Tabassum.

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A man's man?

Mahavir Singh Rawat, 26-year old television journalist is based in Delhi and quite the ladies man. But a man's man? He doesn't think so!

Tried it?

"Yuck!" says Mahavir. "Are you kidding me? No way, never!"

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"No one has ever made a pass at me," continues Mahavir. "I think my personality portrays that I am totally straight (and not interested in the same sex)."

"I am not touchy at all," says Mahavir. "I get irritated when my male friends get too friendly with me in the physical sense, even though they are not gay! I guess my body is very repulsive to male bodies."

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At least he tried!

Vijay Leon, an MBA student from Kolkata, claims he is not homophobic. This is his story.

Tried it? No.

Would you try it? No.

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"But if he is a friend who kissed me," says Vijay, "I will work things out with him. Meaning I would tell him I am straight and our relationship would never work out."

"If you like someone for a really long time, and you realise he is gay, it won't stop your feelings for him, would it?" asks Vijay. "We are humans and weak. We need to understand the feelings of another person. In fact, I would probably respect him for his courage. He knows I am straight and yet he tried."

"I have a few gay friends," adds Vijay, "but they have not hit on me. I guess I don't have the gay attraction image."