by AbramIsaac » Sep 18th, '09, 20:31
It's about being or acting in a way that can be considered effeminate, Scotty. That's normally what gay people do, and when straight men act in a way that could be considered effeminate, that's what they get tagged with.
Take, for instance, the V-Neck shirt. Some people on here would call that "gay" because in America, it's not something generally done by men. Generally, women wear V-Necks, so for a man to wear something like that, it is to be considered an effeminate act. It has nothing to do with sexuality, it's culture. If you wear something that is considered to be something that women predominately wear, it's effeminate, which equates to being gay, in American culture.
The "man purse", eye liner, V-Necks, really tight pants...these are things that in Europe aren't all that strange to see on a man (don't really know about the eyeliner) so it isn't necessarily considered effeminate. Do you see the difference? It has nothing to do with sexuality, rather it's just that if you act in a way that is considered "like a woman", you are thrown in with the other people that act in that way, namely, gay men.
I don't think you're gay for wearing V-Necks, or having an attache' case, or wearing pants just a little too tight, but it is effeminate here in America, so consider that the response you will get.
See, the ideal look is different here. I know guys who wear non-baggy jeans, and shirts that conform a little closer than some, but it's not exactly done to the same level that people in Europe do--it isn't as feminine. They take pride in what they look like, careful with their hair, and wear clothes that fit a little tight, but it's to a more masculine level for the United States.
Understand? Culture differences, not that big of a deal.
EDIT: And then there are genuinely homophobic people, many on this board in fact, and they happen to fear/hate everything that they feel threatens their sexuality. But you know what they say, behind many homophobes there is a closet gay person trying to hide behind a facade.
"America...just a nation of two hundred million used car salesmen with all the money we need to buy guns and no qualms about killing anybody else in the world who tries to make us uncomfortable" — Hunter S. Thompson"Poison the well, your enemies are thirsty!" — Modest MouseJesus Christ wrote:Fuck all South Pacific island and island-continents.