Gay culture only celebrates men who are white, young, muscly or those who fit a category like "Bear" or "Jock"

We gay men fuss about straights giving us a hard time for being gay, but I've found that gay men tear each other a part for not wearing the right clothes, not going to the gym, not moisturizing their skin, for not 'fitting in' to a sub-cultural group, for being a 'queen' for being HIV +, for being Asian, for being fat, for being single, for being black......

We critisize straights for pushing stereotypes onto us then we critisize other gay men for not living up to those very stereotypes we publically reject but privately are proud of and try to live up to.

What do you think?

I think, as human beings, we are victims of our own stereotypes. We all are categorized for whoever we are, because as humans we are social animals and we look to try and 'belong' in some form or another to a social group. Therefore the gay community is no different. I might be gay, but just because I choose to have same sex relationships doesn't give me 'enough' of a 'bond' to link me to the next gay man. Therefore I look at another feature. I might have a hairy chest, so that makes me a 'bear', but I have not reached my 40s ( a self imposed restriction!) therefore am I a 'cub'? Then I look at some of the things bears get up to and don't feel I belong there. Therefore I might look at something else, my social status, my interests,etc and so it goes on.

It is an innate human tendency for the need to belong to some form of social group. People who say they are individuals and don't care what other people think aren't being entirely honest. We all feel the need to be accepted at some level or other and therefore just because we are gay doesn't make us any less susceptible to this! So maybe we should know better about stereotyping, but we all do it!

I'm just a skinny white boy...

Does this mean I can't be in the parade?

Shoot.

I think that to a degree you are right. I think that it is human nature to always have to feel superior to someone/thing else. Sad but true.

Depends on the group you are talking to.

You don't see a lot of greys do you?

I'm glad I do.

Regards,

Reyn
believeinyou24@yahoo.com