Straight-acting is a term used to describe an LGBT person who does not exhibit the appearance or mannerisms of the gay stereotype. Although the label is used by and reserved almost exclusively for gay and bisexual men, it may also be used to describe a lesbian or bisexual woman with stereotypical feminine appearance and mannerisms.[1][2] Because the term invokes negative stereotypes of gay people, its application is often controversial and may cause offense.[3]
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Shinsuke Eguchi proposes to explain the emergence of the straight acting phenomenon "because some gay men want to achieve hegemonic masculinity to overcome gay effeminate images".[4] Both Eguchi and Tim Berling relate it to the general context of sissyphobia—the dominant cultural norm that disparages effeminate men, which is not restricted to the gay culture.[5]
Sex advice columnist Dan Savage commented on the popularity of the term "straight-acting" in gay personal ads, criticizing both the practice and the idea that a man seeking a gay relationship through a gay personal ad is acting straight.[6] Defenders of the term maintain it refers merely to one's mannerisms and that critics' isolation of the word "acting" in the phrase distorts the intended meaning of the phrase. Use of the term itself has been labeled as damaging to the LGBT community, as it associates certain attributes with homosexuality.[3]
Men who use the expression "straight-acting" may express resentment that critics claim the term implies they are acting and not being their true selves.[2]
Filmmaker Spencer Windes explored the term and the definition of masculinity in his film Straight Acting. The film is a documentary about Windes' transformation from a closeted Mormon missionary into an openly gay man, through his involvement in the subculture of gays who play contact sports.[7]
In a 2006 interview with People magazine, former 'N Sync member Lance Bass referred to himself and his friends as "straight-acting," stating, "I call them the SAGs – the straight-acting gays. We're just normal, typical guys. I love to watch football and drink beer." After receiving heavy criticism from some in the LGBT community, Bass later stated that he was unaware of the negative implications surrounding the term.
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