Gay men, as a group, display tremendous diversity in their expressions and displays of masculinity and femininity. Part of the reason this myth about the 'femininity' of gay men survives is because many of the most masculine gay men are not necessarily open about their sexual orientation and/or it is not 'assumed' by others that such men are gay. 'Gay men are into fashion, have tidy apartments, and love Madonna!' In this regard, the most visible gay men are often those who superficially meet the stereotype of femininity, not those who challenge it.Ģ. Related to myths about the apparent femininity of gay men are other stereotypes about the personalities of gay men.
Some of these stereotypes are so strong that it's as though some people think there really is such a thing as a 'gay man's personality.' In reality, personality differences amongst gay men are as diverse as those across any other group.
