Is it a gay stereotype?

Question

This is a curiousity question and not a bashing one. When I first met a gay friend of mine, I knew he was gay as soon as he opened his mouth. Later on, after getting to know him, I asked him why some gay men talk with a lisp or have a certain way of speaking? He didn't know whether it was learned or automatic. I would not have said his partner was gay because his speech is "normal". This has just got me stumped!

I know not ALL lisp. I'm just curious to know what the lisp is all about. My gay friend couldn't even tell me.

Answer 1

Uh that was mostly a stereptype, although I did meet one rather flashy queen bakc in the 80's that had a lisp. Many of the gay men I've known are more likely to have like a diva-like affectation if not indistiguishable from "standard" speach.

Answer 2

A lisp is not solely a gay phenomenon, it happens to many str8 people as well, both men and women. The lisp is actually a physiological issue caused by the formation of both the larynx and the tongue, in some cases the lips of the mouth can be at issue as well. The malformation of the tongue (usually slightly shorter than the glottis) can cause a person to lisp because the air passes faster under the tongue during certain Annunciations. You can try it for yourself, say something in your regular voice, then lisp it, and see where your tongue position is when you do. You should find your tongue will be slightly back in you mouth, no more than 2-6 millimetres, but that is enough to cause it. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

A lisp is rare, and stereotyped as gay, but occurs just as much in the straight population. A lisp is a speech pattern were the "s" sound is pronounce almost like "th".

Now, there is another type of what I'll call gay affected speech, the kind where among gay friends we say, "when he opened his mouth, his purse dropped out." But in that speech pattern, there is no problem with pronouncing the "s" sounds. I think that is a learned pattern, because most of those guys can "butch it up," when they feel the need.

Answer 4

Hmm, I do understand what you are saying here. But I can't agree that all men who speak in this way are gay - I have now met several men who speak in that particular fashion who are not gay (we'll just leave aside any question of whether they are "in the closet" or whatever, I honestly don't think they are gay, but that's not the point right now).

I don't think it is learned either. I've spoken to several gay friends who have all said they knew from a very early age (often a a small child) that they knew they were "different", no matter how hard they tried to like the opposite sex when they were in their teens. And I don't think they copied a manner of speech, although I can't even begin to think about subconcious copying. I have no knowledge of psychology to understand the mechanics of this!

And I've met gay people who seemed totally "straight" in their everyday manner (no clues in speech or dress or whatever) and yet they still seemed gay, I have no idea if humans have some subconcious mechanism of picking up on this.

I think there may be a big research project for some university here.

Answer 5

I know what you mean...not all men talk like this...and I wouldn't call it a lisp...but I can often pick up on other gay men..by using this as part of my gaydar...I hate to say this because it is such a negative stereotype..not necessarily with a lisp (which is seldom heard) ..but there is a type of gay speech in which every word is pronounced exactly c-o-r-r-e-c-t-l-y...and gives them away--it's almost a case of them so much not wanting to sound gay --that they do. Am I making sense here?

Answer 6

He may speak with the lisp without really knowing how he does it, but it is a learned thing

Answer 7

I don't think you are trying to stereotype.

One of the first things that you should learn about the gay community is that its members are very diversified. For example - look at the name for this section: gay - lesbian - bi - transgender. Gay men are men that want other men, lesbians are women that like women and transgender feel they are wired to be one sex but are trapped in the wrong type of body. Then you also get butch types, fem types. Their is the leather community, the bear community, twinks and the circuit people. Some people act really effeminate, some really masculine.

Answer 8

Good question i have loads of gay male mates who either talk camp and act camp or are very much butch men (on the gay scene we call these type of men bears) most of these guys i've known since school and for as longer as i can remember they have always spoke or acted like this!! I think sum may learn to talk like this on purpose so they dont actually have to tell people there gay they just guess while others may just have always been like it.

Answer 9

I am gay, and do not talk in a 'gay way'. I believe it is stereotyping to believe that all gays talk a specific way.

I speak like any man, walk like any man and am definitely not a cute little hottie with fluttering eyelashes. (Nothing wrong with the guys who are like that, it is simply no guarantee they are gay is they are like that.)

In most modern societies it is not possible to determine if someone is gay simply by looking at them. Many straight guys look and dress better than gay boys, and many gay boys are more butch than straight guys.

In more traditional societies, one does however find that most 'gays' take on very feminine characteristics. BUT they then have relationships with VERY BUTCH men who consider themselves straight.

Answer 10

Some of them just like men in the bedroom,but are also comfy with their masculinity.These are the ones that people are most taken aback by when they come out of the closet.Then there are other homos who not only like men in the bedroom,but are also uncomfy with their God given sex.So they behave in an effeminate manner.This behavior is NOT natural,and does NOT come along automatically with being openly gay.