A Reddit post has gone viral and prompted hundreds of comments after asking gay men what gay stereotypes were relatable.
“What is the most accurate gay stereotype?” was posted in the popular ‘AskGayBros subreddit.
Of course, nobody should be reduced to a stereotype, and we’re all a whole lot more complex than that. However, that said, the responses came pouring in.
The most-liked response? Apparently, “Walking too fast.” This prompted a few witty responses of its own, including, “Gotta make up for all that time wasted in the closet…”
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Even those who face physical challenges could relate.
“I use a wheelchair, and this applies to me too. I get so desperate when I have slow people in front of me and I can’t pass them,” said one user.
The next relatable stereotype? “Terrible sitting posture,” said one user, earning nearly 600 upticks. “Can’t sit in chair right” also scored highly.
“Half the time I’m slouched so low my tailbone is almost hanging off the edge of the chair,” agreed another commentator.
One less controversial ‘stereotype’ suggestion came with, “gay guys like to have sex with other men”. One person labeled that, “The only true gay stereotype.”
Related: What occupations have the highest proportion of gays? Redditors say…
Fourth on the list was: “Being at least slightly more sarcastic, sassy, and/or passive-aggressive than the average straight guy.”
Some wondered if this was a response to being bullied when younger or deflecting negative attention.
“I feel it’s cultural. When I stop hanging around with gays who behaved like this, I stopped being like that. I think also maybe … quick wit is one way shut down high school bullies with unoriginal group think comments,” pondered one responder.
Another person theorized that “most gay guys are horny af,” with another pointing out that, “Statistically gay men have way more sexual partners than straight people. The US average for heterosexuals is still seven.”
Other suggestions included: “Iced coffee”; “Being obsessed with female singers or drag culture”; and “gays don’t know cars. My Uber could say to look for a Toyota Corolla and I might as well be looking for a semi-truck without more information.”
Related: Scientists identify the best amount of coffee to drink each day
All of the above seemed to score points for relatability among other users. This prompted debates about nature vs. nurture.
“Reading most of these, I think many are developed by gay culture and groupthink and not by being just gay,” argued one commentator.
“If you stick a bunch of people together and there is a bunch of unwritten code a lot of things will come out. I think this is especially the case with ‘gays are bitchy’, ‘gays are fashion victims’, etc. The fast walking one I can’t explain though, that’s definitely me, long before I knew any other gay people.”
None of us want to be reduced merely to stereotypes or portrayed using tired old tropes. However, some gay guys clearly see patterns of behavior among their peers.
So… are you a walking, talking gay stereotype, or do you mostly buck the trend?
PolishBear
Get a bunch of Straight men together and they’ll throw a football around.
Get a bunch of Gay men together and they’ll throw shade.
CatholicXXX
Nail polish. Yuck.
Doug
This is the stereotype that rings truest with me. The need to see who can come up with the cattiest or bitchiest iremark or insult really gets old after awhile.
BennyTheHill
CatholicXXX: “Nail polish. Yuck.”
I totally agree with you!!!
bachy
I never thought about ‘walking fast’ as a gay stereotype. But I do find that if I get stuck behind a family at the mall whose ambulatory speed is dictated by someone pushing a stroller while wearing flip flops, I, too become agitated and anxious to get past the sluggish herd. I’ve noticed that people who slow down to accommodate the toddlers in their lives tend to develop premature middle-aged spread, so no thanks.
Todd.Brooklyn
Being both gay and a NY’er there is no it her way to walk than fast ??
ncman
Walk fast because a moving target is harder to hit.
bachy
True in the animal kingdom as well!
dario717
Walking fast, and jutting around slow-pokes. Absolutely.
gregg2010
Great hair.
Huron132
I have always walked fast, sit badly, very very sarcastic and a few more noted here. It’s funny I never noticed it until I read this so, I guess I am 100% gay and always have. These are funny and true. But to survive in my life. I had to learn most sports or, at least the main rules, lots of things about cars and hunting. That’s how I kept from getting outed as a kid.
jt1990
I’ll add mine: a tendency to vote Democrat. Can’t believe this didn’t make the list!
BennyTheHill
jt1990: That only proves that most gays are followers, not leaders.
Ronbo
Hey Bennie, maybe we just don’t enjoy being hated for expressing God’s true love. Republicans rarely provide comfort or advancement to anything that isn’t about a tax cut or a way to control other people’s bodies.
Now, they are trying to gaslight America into thinking that Christianity is about hate and division. “You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”
Don’t be fooled.
BennyTheHill
Ronbo: “…or a way to control other people’s bodies.”
Really?
It’s the leftist Democrats who are forcing vaccinations on people who oppose them.
What happened to ‘personal autonomy?’
That’s controlling another’s person’s body.
Whatever happened to: “My body, my choice.”
What about forcing people to wear masks? That also interferes with the freedom and autonomy of the individual.
Leftist Democrats only think that personal autonomy applies to the issue of abortion and NOTHING else.
As always: Democrats = Hypocrites
miller2900
When I “came out” back in the 80’s (here in LA after moving from a small Mid-west town) one of my biggest complaints was what I viewed as “forced” gay acting. At the time, for me it seemed like once one decided to “come out” there was almost an unwritten set of rules on how to act/declare your “gayness”. Having the strong personality that I did/do, I didn’t follow any of the rules. I figured if you didn’t like me the way I was, it wasn’t my job to convince you one way or another. That attitude is probably coming from being the eldest of four kids growing up and coming from a pretty strong personality family. We had what I call pretty basic rules of life growing up. Always have a job and do the best you can at it, keep your home clean and organized, including the exterior and yard so that you didn’t “run down the neighborhood and affect others property values, and help others in need. We were taught that if you followed those basic rules, you could be confident about yourself but at the same time making sure you always looked to “do better”. Those rules got me through the “coming out” process pretty dam good without having to be a “bitchy queen” just to “fit in” in Weho. It also made the coming out process at work go smoothly. I was in a high-profile position employment wise, so it was critical on how I handled the process. Looking back over the last gazillion years I was pretty dam lucky with how the whole process went…. both with family AND career. Unfortunately, not everyone is with the process. Now or “back in the day”. One of the most used comments I grew up with was “hey, nobody else pays my rent or bills so it’s my business what I do”.
IJelly
Making either ridiculously long or super short, often funny, often bitchy remarks in website comments sections.
mateo
It’s funny that nobody mentioned “gay voice”.
Stefano
Indeed, it seems to me that this is a comment that was often made, not so long ago.
IvanPH
Limp wrist