ex cathedra: Gay = Effeminate?

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Gay = Effeminate?

Jack Malebranche makes the case that "gay" as it currently exists means effeminate. Despite the existence of homosexually-oriented men whose gender identity and presentation are similar to heterosexual men, the gay identity, he says, is essentially effeminate. Hence, he considers "gay" a slur on a man.

Despite the extremely common phenomenon of the effeminate homosexual male, both in ordinary life and in the presentations of gay men in media and literature (both straight and gay), I have resisted this notion. For most of my life, to me "gay" has just been another word, a non-clinical colloquialism, for "homosexual". All it meant, essentially, was same-sex attraction.

A thought-experiment came to me today at the gym. (The irony of the place is not lost on me.)

A homosexual male who presents as hypermasculine can be criticized and mocked by gay men for trying to appear to be something that he is not, a straight man, and it can be suggested he is self-loathing and is not authentically gay.

But a homosexual male who presents as effeminate or even hypereffeminate may not be criticized and mocked for trying to be something he is not. Even if his presentation is not appreciated, it is deeply incorrect to imply that he does not thereby belong to the gay community. No one will imply that he is self-loathing.

In effect, your gay identity can be questioned for being too masculine, but not for being too effeminate.

Does this not imply that effeminacy is essential to the gay identity, while masculinity is optional at best?

Is Malebranche right?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...: Interesting question. And while I can't speak for the "hypermasculine" Gays, I can for those who tend to the feminine. For I am one, I am effeminate.

No matter how hard I used to work at toning down a certain gesture, a gait as I walked, etc., no luck. I have "girly" mannerisms. And trust me, I have been (and, at times, still am) teased and derided and mocked by both Gays and straights.

Once you've been blistered by someone for being a queen, you never forget it. And I spent countless and wasted hours and hours--, hell, months and months trying to be (so-called) masculine, forget hypermasculine.

What's intriguing is that I can not remember a woman who was ever sarcastic about my effeminacy.; 5:02 AM, August 16, 2008

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