BetterMost, Wyoming & Brokeback Mountain Forum
The World Beyond BetterMost => Anything Goes => Topic started by: David In Indy on October 18, 2007, 08:01:11 pm
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From America Online:
There is a highly accurate way a casual observer can tell if a man is gay: Just pay attention to his body type and the way he walks.
Both offer subtle cues about sexual orientation, but casual observers seem to be able to read those cues better in gay men than in lesbians, according to a study from researchers at UCLA, New York University and Texas A&M.
The study: Eight male and eight female volunteers, half of whom were gay and half of whom were straight, participated. Led by Kerri Johnson of UCLA, the team measured their hips, waists and shoulders. Then each volunteer walked on a treadmill for two minutes while being filmed by a 3D motion-capture system that allowed researchers to track the precise amount of shoulder swagger and hip sway in their gait.
The results: In terms of body motion or gait, gays and lesbians tended to have body types that were unusual for their gender. That is, gay men had hourglass figures, while the lesbians had more tubular bodies. In addition, the gay men tended to sway their hips, while the lesbian women swaggered their shoulders more than their straight counterparts.
The team then showed the treadmill videos -- with only the volunteers' backsides visible -- to 112 undergraduate observers. These students determined the volunteers' sexual orientation with an overall accuracy rate that exceeded chance, even though they could not see the volunteers' faces or the details of their clothing. Specifically, the students correctly categorized sexual orientation 60 percent of the time for men; however, their accuracy for women did not exceed what they would do just by chance.
"We already know that men and women are built differently and walk differently from each other and that casual observers use this information as clues in making a range of social judgments," Johnson said in a statement announcing the findings. "Now we've found that casual observers can use gait and body shape to judge whether a stranger is gay or straight with a small but perceptible amount of accuracy. The findings build on recent research that shows that casual observers can often correctly identify sexual orientation with very limited information. A 1999 Harvard study, for example, found that just by looking at the photographs of seated strangers, college undergraduates were able to judge sexual orientation accurately 55 percent of the time.
"Studies like ours are raising questions about the value of the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy," Johnson said. "If casual observers can determine sexual orientation with minimal information, then the value in concealing this information certainly appears questionable. Given that we all appear to be able to deduce this information to some degree with just a glance, more comprehensive policies may be required to protect gays against discrimination based on their sexual orientation."
The study findings were published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
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This is an interesting study but how does body type determine gay or straight? IMO I think gay "actions" are learned, especially in the bars as well as how to dress and groom with what is "trendy" in the bars at that time and those are a giveaway. My own personal Gaydar consists of paying close attention to verbal gymnastics avoiding pronouns here and there. It seems to be 90% accurate for me.
TampaTalon ^">
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Thanks tampatalon, and thanks David!!
David: I am puzzled by that information you are giving David! It seems to me that more studies need to be done, maybe?? Does that mean that gay males have more masculine bodies than straight males??
Tampatalon: it seems that I can tell that straights (mainly so) are in gay porno movies and still pics, can you too?
Hugs, hugs!!
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Thanks tampatalon, and thanks David!!
Tampatalon: it seems that I can tell that straights (mainly so) are in gay porno movies and still pics, can you too?
Hugs, hugs!!
I am not good at telling if a male is trait or gay by looking at them, unless there is something that tips it "over the top". I am dense that way. My Gaydar still works best by listening to subtle speach ques and patterns. My senses are best at picking up what is not most obvious.
TampaTalon ^">
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I'm just clueless!
I have no gaydar at all! :(
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I guess maybe I have much more experiences than you with guys!
Rare birds are gay guys! ?? How can one tell if one is a gay man, ask him maybe?
Hugs!!
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I guess maybe I have much more experiences than you with guys!
Rare birds are gay guys! ?? How can one tell if one is a gay man, ask him maybe?
Hugs!!
LOL!
great answer Artsie!!
Sometimes the simplest way is the best!!
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I'm just clueless!
I have no gaydar at all! :(
I also have very bad gaydar. I've been wrong so many times I've learned not to make assumptions, and rely upon very unambiguous signs, such as someone stating explicitly that they are gay or seeing them at a gay bar.
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I also have very bad gaydar. I've been wrong so many times I've learned not to make assumptions, and rely upon very unambiguous signs, such as someone stating explicitly that they are gay or seeing them at a gay bar.
LOl!
Works for me!
Thats about the only way I can tell! :laugh:
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I am not so sure asking is always the best choice either...Some guys might resort to violence.
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How can I tell if a guy is gay?
If his tongue is in my mouth, that's a pretty good indicator.
:laugh:
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Funny!
Is yours in my mouth or elsewhere?
Hugs!
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Actually, this reminds me of an episode of "Murphy Brown", where a new person was hired, and they were trying to determine if he was gay or not.
They were asking about what tv shows he would like, or magazines he would read...and Corky (the ditzy blonde) says:
"What you need to do is tell him he's got something on his shoe....if he looks like this:"
she twists her leg in front of her, and looks at the sole of her shoe
"He's straight....if he looks like this:"
she bends her knee so her foot is behind her, and she looks over her shoulder
"he's gay!"
So the guy comes in, and they all start asking him questions and the answers give no clue. So then Corky tells him he's got somethign on his shoe, and he twists his leg in front, and then bends his knee and checks from behind.
lmao
:laugh:
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Funny!
Is yours in my mouth or elsewhere?
Hugs!
right now, it's in my own mouth. Slow Friday for me. ;)
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You do that too??
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Interesting ((Dragnet Music in Backround)
Everyone is presumed strait until proven otherwise.
TampaTalon ^">
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Thanks tampatalon!
I
nteresting, everyone is presumed straight until found otherwise?? !!
Why not: everyone is presumed a gay man, until found otherwise??
Hugs!!
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This study says you might be able to tell by the length of a mans ring & pointer fingers. Also, that almost half of gay men are left handed. And even by the whorl, or the way their hair grow atop their head.
Lengthy article here: "The Science of Gaydar"
http://nymag.com/news/features/33520/
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I also have very bad gaydar. I've been wrong so many times I've learned not to make assumptions, and rely upon very unambiguous signs, such as someone stating explicitly that they are gay or seeing them at a gay bar.
I have a few straight friends who hang out in gay bars to get men to buy them drinks.
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Thats a "real thinker there."
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I went to a workshop last week with a friend of mine. We chatted up the facilitator -- a very well-dressed, well-spoken gentleman. When we left she said --- he didn't have a ring on --- and was trying to insinuate a hook-up for me. LOL. I told her that I didn't think he'd be interested (aside from the fact that I'm chubby and older than he). I told her he was gay. She didn't believe me and asked me how I knew, and I really couldn't tell her. I can't explain it, but I could just tell. Maybe I'm wrong, I don't know.
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Will you find out if he is?
I kept looking at someone at a garage the other day, he had no ring and he was so friendly with me. Should have I dared to ask if he was a gay man? I thought maybe I should or show some signs that I am a gay man, or find some on him or about him?? I wish I could ask him!
Maybe one day, you or I will find out??
Hugs!
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Will you find out if he is?
I kept looking at someone at a garage the other day, he had no ring and he was so friendly with me. Should have I dared to ask if he was a gay man? I thought maybe I should or show some signs that I am a gay man, or find some on him or about him?? I wish I could ask him!
Maybe one day, you or I will find out??
Hugs!
Artiste, You were wise not to ask. The man may have been married and removed his ring while he was working so that he does not ruin it ot get it caught in machinery. Did he have a removed ring "tan line" ?
TampaTalon ^">
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I did NOT notice a tan line on him, fortunately!
If I would have been in the Castro gay area, I would have dared ask him!!
But in a society at large, I am too scared?? !!
He was likely too young for me.
Someone my age, I would have asked him out somehow?? I hope!!
Hugs!!
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I have a few straight friends who hang out in gay bars to get men to buy them drinks.
Egad, I can't even use that as a proper gauge anymore! I'm a hopeless case.
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Hi!
Even in parks, some are straights or criminals. One gay (I think he might be a gay man, as I heard that he went there for sex fun nearly all his life) in this city nearly got killed by many who used a knife on him often, and these murderers left him there as dead! Those criminals went to court! Like I said, even if he went back to that park after that nightmare, I admire him. But on the news on TV yesterday, I do not know if he was one of two having sex that got arrested. Police say that they got complainst from the neighbourhood, so they arrest and take also licence plate numbers!!
So some were undercover cops, it was said too; such cops can have sex and then charge you, I think??
It is hard to tell at times if a person is a gay man or otherwise??
Hugs!
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I guess there never will be a good way to tell, after all, when they hand the newborn to the mother after birth, they usually smile and say its a boy or a girl. They don't every say congratulations, ya have a little lesbian or a little gay dude!
TampaTalon ^">
"Its the journey,not the destination"
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The only way I have been able to tell if a guy is gay or straight is if I woke up the next morning, and he hadn't left, and was in fact cooking breakfast (with freshly squeezed OJ). With the advent of the Food Network, even that has become unreliable.
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Funny Scott!
Funny tampatalon!
Any more jokes or ways to tell??
Hugs!
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And was he gay?
A real gay guy? Or just acting gay?
Hugs!
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Not sure what your asking, so here are ALL the answers. lmao
In the episode the character's name was "Rick", and "Rick" was a gay man.
In real life, the actor who played the part is Brian McNamara. He's a straight man, and currently on the TV show "Army Wives".
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Oh!
Another straight man acting as a gay man in a movie, as in the two main ones in the BM movie?
Hugs!
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Oh!
Another straight man acting as a gay man in a movie, as in the two main ones in the BM movie?
Hugs!
I admiire strait men that will play gay characters. They definately have bigger balls than those that refuse.
TampaTalon^">
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Thanks tampatalon!
Do not forget that gay men have to HAVE much bigger balls?? !!
Gay men have to do so... like to play straights even if the actor is a gay man!! Think about Cary Grant! But he could not even when he was sick say that he was a gay person! And others could not neither. Many were murdered in Hollywood because they were gay men. Many are unsolved murders! So, a gay man who is in Hollywood and is an actor, must have bigger balls to play a gay role??
Hugs!
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Ariste, I agree with you but I must apologize to the ladies. I should have used a more polite term for the ladies present like "testosterone resevoirs" instead of bigger balls. I tend ta be too very colorful in my language sometimes. I also like the points in yer post.
TampaTalon^">
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Thanks tampatalon!
I should maybe use such term too??
What do you say ladies?? Or you have a more colorful word??
Gay men use more colorful word or straight men do??
Hugs!
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Colorful language would be a universal trait that neither striat or gay have a corner on the market.
The strait guys and I are very colorful together at work and they are very cool and sometimes even talk about Mr. Dick!
TampaTalon^">
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umm... in regards to the very first post.... to make any sort of assumptions based on the results of 16 volunteers is a bit silly...
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I am still puzzled if I can tell if a man is straight or gay!!
I think that I was more acurate when I was younger and found many who were gay men, especially married ones with wifes!! Maybe, because those times were much more open like in the 60's and 70's; called the sex revolution?
To-day, I am in my sixties and it's 2007! Is society letting me find more gay men? In some many ways yes! There are legal gay marriages in Canada, now; in the sixties or before, you would be called queer or be hospitalized or placed in prison for such sex and/or friendships!! Can I tell to-day if someone is gay on a gay internet site? Maybe, or likely so he will be!! At least, we have that! And we have some gay bars in certain places or large cities, gay groups, few gay suanas, pornos films, and much more like gay movies : BM, LOVE, etc.; but much more can be done yet?? It remains that many places are straight bars like in the BM movie?
Above all, there is always danger!! And we all must be very careful in Canada, in the USA, in England, in France, in Spain... and in maybe other countries (obviously the islamic ones and others where death occurs against gay men in a row!!)!!
Even in our democratic countries such as in Canada and the USA, it remain hard to tell if one is a gay man?? !! That seems so to me!! To you too?
Hugs!
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I am still puzzled if I can tell if a man is straight or gay!!
Artiste, I think this question will forever be a puzzle. I know a dude that has sex with cross-dressers. He insists he is straight because the men are dressed like women. I know another dude that says he will let males do certain acts to him when no woman is available and he is strait he swears. To me these guys are at least bi-sexual.
I think I will just pull out my credit card and treat them to a cruise on "de Nile"
TampaTalon^">
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Thanks tampatalon!
If you can tell if a man is gay or straight, let me know!! ??
Last year when I was often on a gay internet site, I found out that many or some considered themselves straights even when they used their jack and/or saw those who did!! What a surprise!! You wonder why these refused the word gay?
Hugs!
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"A 1999 Harvard study, for example, found that just by looking at the photographs of seated strangers, college undergraduates were able to judge sexual orientation accurately 55 percent of the time."
Which would mean this study was 5% better than guessing, and has error?
on an aside....it is ignorant of me to assume that half the pop is gay and half is straight?
Here is a fuller description of the UCLA study:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1895474/posts
And BelAir - yes you are right! In fact, it says nothing about traits of gays or lesbians - read carefully. They had 4 gay men and 4 lesbians, 4 straight men, 4 straight women. That's a miniscule sample! Read the above carefully.....they essentially did no better than complete guessing!
:-X
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Thanks Longhorn32! And all!!
Wonder why that study had 50 per cent gay men?
Another study, many years ago, said there are 10 per cent of men in society are gay!
Wonder if we, gay men, are much than that 10?
Hugs!
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Another study, many years ago, said there are 10 per cent of men in society are gay!
Wonder if we, gay men, are much than that 10?
The number of men who have, or have had, sexual relations with other males is certainly much higher than ten percent.
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Thanks moremojo!
I agree with you very much according to my own experiences.
One reason that we need much more surveys?
Hugs!