Fag stag

Fag stag and fruit fly are slang terms for a heterosexual man who either enjoys the company of, or simply has numerous friends that are gay or bisexual men. The latter term comes from the derogatory term from homosexuals (fruit).^[1][2] The term, which originated in the United States in the 1990s,^[1][3] is a male equivalent of the more common fag hag,^[4] a term which is part of hag-ism, the identification of a person with a group—usually united in terms of sexuality, gender identity, or shared sex—of which he or she is not officially a member.^[5] The term can be used as a pejorative or as a term of endearment within LGBT communities.^[6][7][8]

Usage

The phrase is beginning to be used more often as gay, bisexual, lesbian and transgendered sexuality becomes more readily accepted, and the phrase has gained international use as well.^[9][10] Mainstream shows such as Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Queer as Folk, Will & Grace and others explore the mainstreaming of friendships where differing sexualities play a complement rather than impediment to friendships and social situations.^[4][11][12] Additionally, homophobia is less prevalent and efforts to confront violence and hostility towards sexual and gender minorities such as gay-straight alliance have lifted some of the stigma of having LGBT people as close friends.^[4][11] "Fag Stag" was the name of a 2002 episode of the MTV series Undressed which centered around a gay wedding.^[13][14] When Radar magazine debuted, its founder and editor-in-chief, Maer Roshan, called competitor Details' editor-in-chief Dan Peres, a "professional fag stag,"^[15] stating, "Let's get one thing straight, Peres is not gay. But his magazine sure seems to be."^[15]

Finally, a fag stag can also mean a male gay icon—a celebrity that is loved by the gay community who has "gay buddies" such as Ben Affleck, Eric McCormack, Justin Timberlake, Colin Farrell, Matthew Broderick, and Robbie Williams.^[4][12][15]

See also

• Gaydar

Footnotes

References