cockedandloaded: thanks for the honest and candid reply!
i greatly appreciate your thoughts on this matter, and am also pleased to see that some people have actually found this topic of some interest...
my follow-up comment is regarding your words about sexual identity: i 100% concur that having a male jerk-off buddy is really just a part of male bonding, or male activities, and does not necessarily (depending on the person i suppose) lead to any form of sexual activity and/or confusion of one's sexual identity.
i've spoken with my wife in the past about my jerking off with mates, and as i've posted in past threads in this topic, she thinks it's kind of funny now and isn't concerned about it, as i honestly assured her that it was really just about guys watching porn and getting off...BUT, i think she has a hard time seperately that which is purely a "bonding" activity, with that which is "sexual."
i think this is the case because 1) she's very private about sex 2) never had a jilling partner 3) doesn't usually masturbate herself 4) doesn't like porn, and 5) i typically masturbate her as a form of foreplay, so i think she automatically equates masturbation as a sexual activity...
now, don't get me wrong, i acknowledge that masturbation is a form of sexual activity, but perhaps i'm going out on a limb here to state that jerking with a buddy just seems different to me: i don't desire to kiss, make-out or cuddle with my mates. i don't want to have oral or anal sex with my mates...and in the past, it's just been one of those things where we were both watching porn and told each other we were horny and needed to jerk off, so we just always decided to do it in front of each other. yes, this was exciting i suppose, but again, i would 100% agree that this did not confuse me about my sexuality, or even change my sexuality in anyway (unless, maybe, to help break down those silly social taboos, as you say, and recognize that i can find this to be a fun, rather than disgusting, activity with a male friend).
other people have commented on how i would feel if my wife had a secret male jerk-off buddy, and while i understand that most people are responding to the "secret" aspect of my original post, i would like to state that the question was more about same-sex jerk or jill buddies. so, while i would never want to take a jill partner, because i know that would be violating the sexual relationship with my wife, i would say that her taking a male jack partner would violate that same trust.
if she wanted to have a jill partner, or had one in the past, i think i would be less jealous or upset, and recognize that she was responding to the same thoughts/curiosities/ideas that i was responding to when i jerked off with male friends in the past...or the same thoughts that i'm still contemplating now. i suppose i don't know my true feelings on this subject unless i was faced with her wanting to have a jill partner, but at this stage in the game, i can see myself being fairly intrigued by the concept!
thanks again to all who have responded to this post...