Word of the Gay: "Macho-fem"

"Macho-fem" is gay lingo for a masculine gay man whose sexual orientation is not obvious to the general public. He is also known as straight acting or passing.

Open Forum: Do Gays Have Different Mannerisms?

If someone paints the gay community with a broad brush they are labeled as being insensitive, ignorant, or worse yet homophobic. To suggest that all gay males are effeminate, or that all lesbians are butch leaves out many people who do not fit these stereotypical behaviors.

But is there some truth to the stereotype? More and more research is coming out to suggest there are some genetic differences among most queer people. Gay men typically have a higher pitched voice, raised eyebrows, bigger lips, and have feminine expressions and mannerisms whereas lesbians tend to be on the opposite spectrum with deeper voices, lower eyebrows, and a more masculine disposition.

While this may not be true for all people who self identify as queer, is it possible there is a feminization and masculinization of the brain that is occurring which alters the way we behave from heterosexual and cissexual people?

Word of the Gay: "Castro Clone"

"Castro Clone" was a term used to describe how most gay men would embrace a certain type of style and dress. The term was used in a time when hyper-masculinity was idolized and everyone was trying to achieve what they deemed male perfection.

Word of the Gay: "Stromo"

A "stromo" is a gay man who has the style and demeanor associated with straight males. It is the opposite of a metrosexual.