Woolfson1 argued that homosexuals shall be defined by the act of sex and not the behaviors that ‘gay’ men possess. It seems that Woolfson1 proposes the idea that anyone that follows gay male culture is a conformist to an illegitimate created society. I argue that Woolfson1 seems to have a problem in that the words ‘gay’ and ‘homosexual’ are seen as the same: whether one claims either identity at large they are looked to be the same. I argue that Gay media and literature define the word ‘gay’ which is then used to define both the words ‘gay’ and ‘homosexual.’ Therefore Woolfson1s argument is not substantial enough standing alone giving the ability to separate the words ‘gay’ and ‘homosexual.’
I will further argue that the stereotypes portrayed in the media are largely what the ‘gay’ identities follow. Thus, I argue that ‘gay’ male culture exists because men who have sex with men are automatically placed into a sub cultural group. Roles then are what define the gay/homosexual men within the culture: whether the role is effeminate, or masculine. Many of the roles defined are, effeminate and, similar as many gay/homosexual men act alike. There are roles that are created[i], though roles that are created may have been defined by gay clichés, which will be discussed further in the paper. There is modern gay literature that helps provide the, current trends and, natural roles, ones that were not created by gay clichés, which gay and homosexual men follow. Such texts and literature express the fact that gay and homosexual men often tend to, naturally, be drama queens when defining their roles. “Drama Queen”, a well-known and respected gay male culture, and roles self help book, that reflects the fact that some of the more prevalent roles make gay men drama queens.
When men are defined as drama queens within gay male culture it is applied to both gay and homosexual men. Whether gay men or homosexual men follow all of the gay male culture concepts, it still is widely seen as being the same. More so there are certain roles that may apply more to a homosexual however is then still applied to the gay man, as the culture itself is not divided into both gay culture and homosexual culture. This further proves the fact that the words follow closely which then blends the two words together making it very hard to distinguish the words.
Such roles include the ‘big ho’ which is the gay or homosexual man that cannot keep his pants zippered and is always on the move to catch his next man. Homosexual men are very sexual beings gay and homosexual men often want sex wherever they are at the time; it is something that queers culture is all about. The idea that gay men can and will define their gayness by the amount of sex they are getting with other men. Thus having multiple sexual relationships makes many of the gay men drama queens, as they are not considering the feelings for the men they have hurt. The ‘health food’ freak is what gay men strive to be. Gay men are all about keeping thin and looking their best as appearance defines how they fit into society, especially when it comes to mating with other men. The ‘Martha Stewart’ is perhaps one of the most glorified roles of being gay. When being compared to Martha Stewart shows, exemplifies that as a gay man, they know how to have the perfect dinner party having the ability to make things perfect. Gay men’s homes will look in place and structured as gay men understand home décor to its finest. The home is the centerfold for gay male culture for the fact that sexual relations often happen in their homes and one must have the perfect décor that attract gay (Price).
The ‘gym rat’ is another glorified role, one of the larger aspects of how gay men define themselves in gay male culture, is ensuring that one is not fat and plump. There are gay men that do not always fit such standards and are judged by the ‘back stabbing bitch,’ such a bitch is the gay man that is not able to steer free from judging others. This bitch will make sure that one knows that you are a gay man that does not define gay male culture. Lastly one of the most common roles that is defined within gay male culture is the ‘flake,’ gay men are truly to busy to have time for everyone which of course makes them seem flakey unable to make commitments. Gay men are too busy at the gym, making new outfits, and having crazy sex like hoes, therefore they are unable to make time commitments. These ideal roles are ones that make gay men unique which will pave the way of how gay men differentiate themselves amongst the world, and heterosexual culture. (Price)
The roles mentioned above are ones that are seen as naturally known roles that gay and homosexual men possess. Such roles then can and will be changed as the needs are always differing within society. Some roles however never cease to change. As gay men adapt certain roles after being placed into gay male culture it is essential that gay men take advice from men’s gay fashion magazines, even though most gay men have the natural ability to understand color, some gay men need some extra assistance. Such fashion magazines allow gay men to better understand how to be dressed and groomed as appearance defines gay men within society. Genre magazine is one that defines style as the central point of gay male culture fashion. Gay men love to dress up and look their best for their men, after all it is like a market and if one wants to sell oneself like the big ho one has to look the part. Part of gay male culture is to have the ability for gay men to express their way of fitting in with other gay men. (Hayes)
It is widely stated that the vast majority of gay men are always well dressed and the ones that are not clearly do not follow cultural guidelines. Gay men that do not define cultural standards often look to the gay literature as if they were self-help books. Such literature is found in heterosexual culture as well. Straight women are emulating and looking at the cosmopolitan magazines for fashion, health and dating advice. Because gay men are superior and already come equipped with fashion knowledge they only need guidelines of what is exactly current for them to wear, unless they are unable to understand the new fashion trends. One of the current issues this summer described that the ‘gym rat’ wants to have the perfect swimsuit that fits his but this summer. It gave all of the essential steps he needs to take to ensure that the men he surrounds himself will see his newly shaped ass. Such magazines show the true importance of maintaining your health and but size or you will be the gay man that is exiled into the misfits. Gay men can be ostracized by the ‘back stabbing bitch,’ which will be judging the amount of fat roles you possess. Because gay men have the tendency to judge others it reiterates the fact that gay men are drama queens, when defining themselves within gay male culture.
As such the roles are not simply just applied to gay men they are referring to both gay and homosexual men. The mainstream view does not allow us to dissect the words as being different. Even if the homosexual claimed that he only has sex as an act ‘x’ the act ‘x’ still relates back to gay male culture. Gay male culture is something that cannot be created if such acts are closely related to both homosexual and gay men. Rather because the act of sex is closely related to gay male culture it is all seen as the same identity.
Because gay men have the natural tendency to desire and have crazy sex, some gay men may want a sex buddy or relationships. There are gay men who use self-help books to show them what kind of drama queen they can associate with and date or just have sex with. There are certain gay men within the book that attract more men than others. These gay men are ones that define gay male culture and often resemble strength through the characteristics the book defines such as being thin, fashionable and lives drama. There are archetypes of boyfriends that reflect many of the dramatic tendencies that are defined within gay male culture.
Before gay men can have successful relationships they must go through the gay right of passage. “Boyfriend 101,” helps gay men clarify what the gay right of passage is and how one follows through this passage. As gay men live within the culture it is evident that many of the newly gay men will go through a few stages. Some of the more prevalent stages are the ‘slut’ stage: which, is the time that gay men become very excited about liking men and will have crazy sex with any gay guy they see. ‘Perfection, the yoga boy’ is another perception that gay men all follow, when looking for their new boyfriends. Gay men dream for the man that is thin chiseled and has a penis to die for. Gay men will follow such principles for their boyfriend hunting for about six months or so when they realize that it is not possible to find the boy toy they have been dying for. Once this stage is complete gay men will follow newly found fashion trends and work out until they have the ability to find the dream man. (Sullivan)
All too often though dating does not work well with gay men, yet it is seen that it applies to ‘homosexual’ men as well. Much of the literature that is out there for gay dating exploits the fact that gay or homosexual men do not have the ability to be monogamous. Because gay men cannot hold unto one sexual partner it is a challenge to hold unto to that boy toy of yours. Therefore such texts and self help books that define the roles gay men possess will shed the light on the necessary steps to exclude one from becoming the slut, or worse the back stabbing bitch within gay male culture.
It is important that gay men meet their boyfriends in socially acceptable places within gay male culture. If gay men meet their prospective boyfriends within gay social places it is more likely to work out[ii]. Some of the best places to meet new men may be the gym or perhaps stores that generally carry effeminate things, where at large gay men are attracted. Due to the fact that gay men care about appearance it is highly likely that gay men are loyal to luxury brands. When gay men approach the counter it is inevitable for the other gay men to stay at a distance; it sets the gay man up for a possible hook up or future date. (Sullivan) The perception of relationships blends both gay and homosexual men. The gay men may be the ones that want a relationship, however homosexual men may simply just want sex. Both are directly linked to one another creating them to be the same and perhaps leaving the two words closely related.
As mentioned earlier gay or homosexual men go through a phase, ‘gay right of passage’ and once gay men have matured it is easier for them to meet men who may be more promising and not as inclined to cheat on them becoming the man hoe. More so there are also special ways that gay men communicate to gain access to other gay men they have their own body language to communicate with one another. Some of the more common body language methods used are: Wearing skintight jeans and scarves showing off your sexy body. Gay men naturally love men that are chiseled and look like a Greek God. Gay men will sit in cafes, gyms, and urban areas to gain access to fruity men that lurk the streets. Because gay men have the natural ability to dress and act effeminate it is something gay men use as a mating tactic.
To ensure though that all of these tactics work gay and homosexual men have to first understand that there is phase that they go though and once through the phase they will ultimately find a sex partner for the night or their next boyfriend. More so as gay men work through their rite of passage it is evident that gay men will be more likely to better understand their needs not looking as much into self help books to stay current. As new trends emerge gay men who have gone through the ‘right of passage’ will not necessarily associate with the new idealisms of what being ‘gay’ is[iii].
Due to the fact that the older gay men do not associate with newly defined roles it is may be sees that the newer gay men are ones that take the standards to the extreme, which causes them to be named as the gay cliché. These gay men are ones, by elder gay men’s standards, who cannot understand how to take on a role or what it means to be gay which only gives gay men. Gay clichés at large do not understand gay male culture, they try too hard to define and redefine what is natural which will make you stand out. They are pretending to be gay, therefore basing the idea that gay male culture is created stems from the perception of defining through gay clichés. The medias portrayal is mirroring the idea that gay clichés are the men who define the culture. Therefore when looking through the media it only seems if the culture was created when in fact the culture itself already existed. The cultural roots stay them same. Gay men tend to act the same within the roles they portray, however, as the world view changes some of the principles change, thus making the way, newer out of the closet, gay men communicate different.
Further, I express the fact that these stereotypes cannot be created they are natural. Gay men have the natural tendency to be dramatic. Gay men being drama queens is the main reason they are separated, again, because they define their lives on drama and sex which creates such roles which may or may not be effeminate. Effeminate men, possibly gay clichés, further their image from gay literature that is published. Therefore again this culture is not created, rather redefined and shaped as new people influence the way gay men act and behave. Ending with the idea that the words homosexual and gay are the same both relate back to the fact that gay men are homosexuals who define themselves within roles of gay male culture standards.
Therefore I come to the conclusion that ‘gay’ men define the roles that people tend to assign to both ‘gay’ and ‘homosexual’ men. As such it does not matter if one is ‘gay’ or ‘homosexual’ the men will still be seen as ‘gay.’ Much of the literature is targeted for both ‘gay’ and ‘homosexual’ men; however, the word homosexual is rarely used when defining ‘gay’ men. Thus, the words as argued by Woolfson1 are not able to be separated and stand to mean the same thing.
[i] Roles that are created often stem from gay men who take the roles to the extreme, when shaping their identity within gay male culture, such roles may be discounted and will be further discussed in later work.
[ii] Gay men have special places where they gather so they cab find men that are alike themselves; these way relationships are more likely to work out.
[iii] The gay right of passage is widely discussed in gay literature. It describes the fact that gay men will identify themselves through labels to then later try and push away from such labels. Because gay men will become excited as they have entered this new found freedom they may become attached to labels that do not necessarily define who they are as people within the gay male(Hayes).
No comments:
Post a Comment