What do you think about "gaydar"?

Question

Almost everyone has heard of this... the idea that LGBTQ people can spot other people of similar orientation. I think it's a load of crap myself, as straight people don't have straightdar, and being gay doesn't give us special powers. Anyway, what are your thoughts?

Answer 1

Uh Hello, we must have special powers, remember we're the ones who caused: Aids, 9-11, the tsunami, at least according to some right wingers......Ok Ok we don't have special powers, but we are intuitive to our own kind. It's just an learned skill. That straights don't have straightdar is a nonstarter as they don't need it. We do. We still remain a fringe of society, just like other animals in nature, we can smell our own.

Answer 2

Well, I don't particularly like the word "gaydar." But gay people have saved themselves a lot of time, trouble and aggravation by being able to pick up on subtle cues. It's all about communication. To me, a lot of it boils down to vocabulary, appearance, and mannerisms. Plus location, location, location - if I am walking down Castro St. in San Francisco, the chances are pretty good that I will meet gay people! :o)

Actually, some straight people must have some sort of "straightdar," since they don't hit on gay people of the opposite sex. But others are clueless. I guess that's true of gay people too; we as humans have all occasionally misjudged someone. It shouldn't be a big deal or a horrible insult, but a compliment.

Answer 3

I was at a large convention hall this afternoon with 3000 other people (general population). I went into the lunch room and purchased lunch and looked around the room for a place to sit. I sat down and chatted with the nicest gay man from Tampa, Florida. I didn't KNOW he was gay before I sat down, but I thought he might be. He was dressed about like the others, not groomed in any special way, it was just the twinkle in his eye when our eyes met. Is that gaydar?

I don't think it's fool proof, and I think sometimes wishful thinking gets us to identify some cute straight men (or women) as gay, but I do think there is something to it.

Straight people don't have straight-dar, because the automatically assume that everyone is straight.

Answer 4

No I think gaydar is real because my friend is gay and can ALWAYS tell if another guy is gay even from a distance, and hes ALWAYS right. Im not gay but I can even say, its not hard to tell so if I, a straight person can tell then ofcourse he can!

Answer 5

LOL!!! I don't think it's a special gift necessarily but I think it comes with being around gays so much. You tend to pick up on certain things. I won't start naming gay qualities because that's a bit stereotypical and it differs from couple to couple. But no...I don't think the gay community is blessed with a special gift of pin pointing other gays by psychic ability! I think a lot of it is common sense and familiarity.

Answer 6

I don't think there is "gaydar" but I do think some people may be more perceptive then others. I'm a bi girl and when I'm around gay/lesbian people they think I'm a lesbian and when I'm around straight people they think I'm straight, nobody ever guesses bisexual.

Answer 7

Well, I'm straight, but I have excellent gaydar. I can't explain it, I just get this feeling...I developed it through many years of faghag-dom.

Answer 8

I don't think it really works because there are so many straight guys who are well-groomed or metro, so nowadays gaydar doesn't really help as much.

Answer 9

There have really been no scientific studies that I know of. If it were real I suspect it would be found in a unique phermone.

Answer 10

I feel that I can identify GLBT people as GLBT correctly about 85% of the time.