(tag removed) mergefrom|Homomasculinity|date=February 2007}}
Straight acting is a slang term used to describe a gay or bisexual man (or, rarely, a lesbian), having the appearance, mannerisms , etc., of a stereotypical heterosexual of the same sex rather than those associated with gay men or lesbians. [1][2] The label is most often used by those who do not self-identify with the traditional, standarized perception of gays.[3] Because the term invokes negative images of gay people, its application is often controversial and may cause offense.[4]
Criticisms edit
Sex advice columnist Dan Savage commented on the popularity of the term "straight acting" in gay personal ads, criticizing both the preference, and the idea that a man seeking a gay relationship through a gay personal ad is acting straight.[5]. Even use of the term has been labeled as damaging to the LGBT community, with its association of a list of certain attributes with homosexuality.[4]
Men in the straight acting community express resentment that "straight acting" implies they are acting and not being their true selves.[2]
Media edit
Filmmaker Spencer Windes explored the term and the definition of masculinity in his film Straight Acting. The film is a documentary about Windes journey from being a closeted Mormon missionary to an openly gay man, through his involvement in the subculture of gays who play contact sports. [6]
Related terminology edit
Other terms are sometimes used to describe men who do not self-identify as gay, or identify with the "gay stereotype."
Down-Low edit
"The Down-Low," or "DL" is a slang phrase used among African Americans for men who secretly have sex with men while maintaining romantic relationships with women.[7]
g0y edit
The neologism "g0y" is used to identify men who are affectionate with other men, but choose not to participate in anal sex. They detest the ways in which homosexuality has been linked to effeminacy and so have opted to create a new facet of sexual orientation. [8] "G0y" proponents dislike the grouping of gay male culture with intersexed and transgendered people. The word "g0y" comes from replacing the letter 'A,' representing anal sex, in the word "gay" with a numerical '0.'[9] Both "g0y" and "down-low" have been criticized as an excuse for homosexual men to stay closeted.[10][8]
Homomasculinity edit
"Homomasculinity" is a term coined by Jack Fritscher in 1977. [11] The term describes a subculture of gay men who "prefer other men who act like men." Eshewing the labels "gay" and "homosexual," and rejecting association with "clones," gay activists and lesbians, "homomasculinity" grew out of the leather subculture of 1970's San Francisco.[11]
MSM edit
In the early 1980s the Centers for Disease Control created the term "Men who have sex with men" (MSM) to refer to an AIDS risk group. At the time many criticized the term as a mere euphemism for gay men, but a new survey of "MSM" in New York City shows important differences between gay men and non-"gay" MSMs.[12]
Miscellaneous edit
"Straight acting" in L33T or SMS speak is sometimes abbreviated as "STR8 acting."[13] SAG is an abbreviation of 'straight acting gay.' [14]
References edit
- ^ Science Fair Projects - Straight-acting
- ^ a b The Journal of Men's Studies
- ^ Straight Acting.com
- ^ a b Acting Straight
- ^ This American Life | Sissies
- ^ Straight Acting. A Story about Queers and Sports
- ^ The "Down Low" or "DL"
- ^ a b Imprint Online: The "g0y" phenomenon
- ^ G0YS.org - Spelled with a ZER0
- ^ 10 Things You Should Know About the DL
- ^ a b Jack Fritscher, Ph.D.
- ^ Independent Gay Forum - Gay Men Vs. ‘MSM’
- ^ Love@AOL Gay & Lesbian Singles & Dating- Decoding Gay Profiles
- ^ The myth of "straight-acting"
[[:Category:LGBT terms]] [[de:Straight acting]]