I will apologize now if anyone is offended by this post. That is not my intention.

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One of the mysteries of life for me is the origins of the "gay accent". I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. Many male members of the homosexual persuasion speak with this tone, or accent. It is not a result of ethnic or regional upbringing, it is something that some gay men somehow tend to develope.

I don't understand how it comes about. Certainly the accent is not a necessity to the intriciacies of homosexual life (as far as I can tell, anyway).


Don't get me wrong here, I have no problem with homosexuals and strongly believe in equal rights among all people of different ethnicities, genders, and sexualities. I just don't understand the access.

Any known information on this subject would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

I've always wondered this myself. Why do they do this? It isn't a learned accent, it is one deliberately chosen.

I imagine it is done for just that reason, to set themselves apart. Same reason some gays act the flaming cliche-ridden image of queers and others act the same as you and I.

Not all gays choose to speak that way, it might just be done to make a political statement. (even if that statement causes the homosexual culture more problems than it solves)

I wonder if the accent wasn't developed so that gay men could easily identify one another. That way they can avoid potential embarassment and/or hostility when approaching a hetero and/or homophobe.

I'm thinking not. The gay community has developed plenty of other ways to communicate to other gay people that are harder to detect to people on the outside than the way they sound.

I'm thinking that it's more along the lines of their personalities taking on a more feminine angle. With the gay people that I know, those with more of a camp accent tend to have more feminine manerisms too.

My ex-wife and I shared a flat in S.F. with a gay man. I asked him about this and the slight lisp some gays use. He said it's more like a cultural thing. It's an added intonation to fit in. Also, as an aside, he told me they designate people with a Mr. & Ms. I was called Mr. Bornbad because I didn't swing that way. Ms. Christopher was called Ms. because he did. There was also a term he used for his bi friends. Shim (she/him). Feel better now?

Fantastic bit of investigative journalism there Mr. B.

Saturday I watched a program on Science Channel called What Makes Us Human, or something like that. Anyway, the whole show was the difference between humans and chimps. One of the biggest differences they found were humans had the natural ability to learn from copying one another. It's part of the reason we have such an advanced language compared to other animals. As an example, the host was in a room with a bunch of preschool children drawing, and he showed how these kids couldn't help but copy one another with their drawings. Chimps, on the other hand, can watch another chimp do some simple task, but can't duplicate it themselves. The example shown was one chimp watching another chimp get a grape out of a clear tube that had to be twisted to seperate. The first chimp had figured it out previously, and removed it in front of the other one. When the second chimp was given the tube with the grape, it had no idea how to get it out, and had to figure it out on it's own, through trial and error.

Anyway, as this relates to this subject. In the program, the scientists pointed out that in one way that humans learning through copying was so apparent was in accents. Even though we like to be individuals, instinctly, we strive to be like each other, and that's why we pick up accents in areas that we live, and from people we hang out with.

I wonder though, if you took a homosexual male, and somehow put him in an environment where he never had heard the "gay accent", would he still somehow pick it up if he was feminine. Probably not, since he hadn't heard it. It's like Bornbad said. They pick it up to fit in.

I doubt it since ALL gay men have gadar! :)


I have several gay friends, and some talk that way and then some don't. I think it's the same with gay men as it is with gay women. One of them plays the male role and the other plays female role.

To play the female role you need to have different mannerisms and a "higher" voice (for lack of a better term).

This is the only thing I can think of, and it sounds good to me!

What, your theory or 'the accent"?

;)

hahahahahaha

Not only do gay men (and straight ones for that matter)copy accents from one another, but so do cows!

The University of London did a study reporting that cows moo differently depending on what part of the kingdom they're from.

That is so out of context I love it. Great example of the thread on a global basis.

GAY COWS! The republicans are right!! We're doomed! Hahaha.. Good thread. I think its probably a function of biology. I'll bet if a gay person grew up in isolation he'd still have the same mannerisms and speech inflections. You ever watch a gaggle of little kids and see the distinct differences in their speech and body language? Watch 'Ma Vie en Rose' great film and it addresses this idea.

Gay cows gives whole new meaning to the phrase "where's the beef?"

What about the camp straight guy tho? I have met quite a few and as a case in point Laurence Llewelyn Bowen (sp?) has that camp accent and mannerisms but is happily married with two kids and is definitely straight. Graham Norton on the other hand... well that is a different kettle of fish ;)

I'm surprised I'm the first actual gay man to discover this thread.

First of all, I cannot represent the views of the entire gay population, because I am just one person, and quite the deviant from the "standard conventions" of being gay.

I never knew that I spoke with what I like to refer to as a "fagccent" until recently, and up until this point in my life, I was proud of my ability to fit in with the straight world.

I personally hate being "obvious". Why would I consciously choose to act in a way that was only bound to put me in a position to be harassed? I didn't, but I do have to admit, it comes out even more when I'm around other gay guys. I guess it's because I can just be myself and let loose all my gayness without fear of being beaten.

So, what I'm saying is, I personally did not choose to speak the way I did, it just happened, although I believe many gay men choose to go flaming around everywhere, thus perpetuating the stereotype that we are lustful, sex-crazed beings.

Hahaha. Fagccent.

Thanks for the "inside perspective". Welcome to worth.

Wrong website, DEP. :)

Hehe.

I meant to say plime, I swear it.

I figured as much, My gay uncle has a little bit of a fagccent(so wrong) but I never doubted that was how he spoke naturally.