Almost three quarters of the gay community have been turned off by feminine men, new survey finds
Masculinity so fragile
Feminine gay men turned off almost three quarters of the gay community, according to a new survey.
In Attitude magazine’s Masculinity Survey, 71% of the over 5,000 respondents admitted they were actively turned off by a partner with typically feminine attributes.
It’s part of the magazine’s latest issue, aiming to tackle attitudes towards masculinity in the gay community.
The survey also asked: ‘Have you ever thought that effeminate gay men give the gay community a bad image or reputation?’
A shocking 41% of respondents answered ‘Yes.’
Editor-in-chief Matt Cain said the survey highlights some ‘troubling results.’
He wrote: ‘It backs up the experience so many of us have had on hook-up apps or the dating scene. And it reflects the difficult relationship so many of us have with our masculinity.’
He asked: ‘But why should we let expectations about how we should look or act as men make us feel bad about ourselves?’
Gay community and ‘straight acting’
These latest results reflect similar studies completed in the past, like one from last year.
Authored by Cal Strode, the survey interviewed 280 gay men in the UK and the state of California. It found a third of ‘straight-acting’ gay guys think feminine gay men give the community a bad name.
Of the respondents saying they never experienced homophobia, 56% also identified as ‘straight-acting’, compared to 26% of those who had experienced it.
But that’s not all: 37% of men who identified as ‘straight-acting’ also said they agreed with the statement that ‘Feminine gay men give gay men like me a bad reputation.’
And they’re not just acting the part of a straight guy. They’re also more likely to identify with the straight community, according to 35% of survey respondents.
