Why do gay men act camp ?

Question

Where do they learn this behaviour? There aren't many heterpsexuals who act like this so what's the link?I mean the walk, the hand movements and the voice.Is it learned or is there a physiological explanation?I'm genuinely intrigued.

can nobody answer me then.If you dont know, why answer?There's nothing homophobic about my question. I maybe generalising somewhat but all I'm offered so far is examples of the non stereotypical gay man.Dont want that do I ?I'll rephrase " Why does the stereotypical gay man act camp??"

Answer 1

dunno n they suk big tym. tnx 4 2 points

Answer 2

Karlos, get a grip! Are you really just trying to be provocative.

You've been told many (if not most) gays don't behave that way and that you're stereotyping. So you tell everyone to shut up (if they don't know why) and ask us to explain why the stereotypical gay male should camp it up?

Well, a stereotype is the standard applied by one group to another. I should imagine that the reason straight men imagine all gay men to be camp is because they, on some level, equate them to women - because gay men fancy men. This effeminises their perception of the gay man and so the stereotype has all gay men as being camp.

As to what your original question probably meant to ask, why are there camp gay men? Well for the same reason that there are camp straight men (lifted from your question "There aren't many heterpsexuals who act like this" - the inference being that there are some).

There are any number of factors which could contribute to this. Here are some options which may or may not be applicable:

There is this whole left-brain right-brain thing going on

They had overbearing mothers and/or absentee fathers

They rebelled against modelling themselves after the strong abusive dominant male (father?) in their formative years

Among their peers, they associated mostly with girls and so affected feminine traits in order to meet "tribal" acceptance

They affect campness in order to stand out ("I'm here, I'm queer!")

I hope this helps

Answer 3

As a gay man myself, I do not act camp, but do know some who do. I believe that the behaviour is learned. They view openly gay men as effeminate, especially in the media, and believe this is the way to be.

Having said that, I do know lots of straight men who are very effeminate, so I do not think that there is any answer as to why men act effeminate, it certainly is not to do with orientation.

As to why the stereotypical gay man is camp, I believe it is because when homosexuality was still not widely accepted and therefore many were ignorant, they viewed wanting a man as a female trait. They therefore, (they being the male population in the media who influenced public opinion) attributed feminine traits to homosexuals, to mock, ridicule and somewhat identify (effeminate man=gay and therefore stay away. Masculine man=not gay).

Therefore, some who are openly gay, and proud to be, wish to 'advertise' to other gay men and others they wish to know and therefore take on the camp personality. It is universally an accepted gay stereotype.

I hope this makes sense.

Answer 4

I've met lots and can only think of a few that were "camp".
I think it really depends on the person, some do it for attention, some are just like that, but generally I found the ones I know to be quite normal.
I think the hetero view of gay men as camp comes from that being the only way they can tell for sure. It's bound to become a sure thing that gays are camp if that is your way of telling.
It's a stereotype.

Answer 5

Not all gay men act camp. Some of us look str8 and act straight. There are a lot of str8 men, who are camp. The only reason you see a camp man as being the stereotype gay is because the camp gays go out of rub the fact that they are gay in everyone's face (not all of them, mind you). Some men have more feminine mannerisms & some of these guys emphise it to produce the camp gay. These camp gays are usually screeming queens as well. Hope this explains something for you....

Answer 6

Not all gay men act camp, some don't act camp at all. I think those that do do it naturally without thinking about it. When I came out and met my boyfriend he said that I walked slightly camp and I did not think I did. I am becoming more and more convinced that a person in born gay so the way they act is part of that.

Answer 7

It's because it's a stereotype, and in the media so much. Look at "Queer eye for the straight guy" and other "fabulous" shows like that. It's a stereotype and generalization, which means people actually DO act that way and actually TRY to act that way.

I find it a turnoff though, I mean we're men... effemininity shouldn't be associated with gays, it just means your effeminate.

Answer 8

Not sure, just the stereotype, don't know many gay men that act that way, ones I know act very much like any other guy, never would have thought they were Gay-in fact one is on a Lacross team and the other is on a Rugby team, very heavy into sports, so I just figure you are referring about the obvious ones and not the ones you would never know unless they told you.

Answer 9

Not all gay men act camp. I worked with a guy for 3 years until I found out he was gay, he wasn't in the least bit flamboyant. His boyfriend on the other hand was a real 'screaming queen', he was great!

Answer 10

I think the ones that behave that way probably do so because they tend to have more female friends... and end up picking up their mannerisms.

In the same way that straight girls or guys rely on one another for friendship, straight girls tend to rely on gay men as friends and vice-versa. That way you can be friends with someone who doesn't "judge" you, and there won't be the sexual tension inherent to guy-girl friendships.

Just a guess, really..............

Answer 11

how can they learn to behave that way if they have been brought up by regular parents ? its naturally the way some gay men/ women r! and hey who cares as long as they have a happy fulfilling life xxxx