Gay Men Can Be Sexist, And Here Is How They Do It

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Of my circle of friends and acquaintances, the majority are men. Of those men, the majority are gay. In other words, the demographics of my friends are skewed in a very queer direction.

One might think this would mean that they’re also skewed in a feminist direction, but that’s not the case. There is an assumption that because gay men aren’t sexually attracted to women, they are much less likely to be sexist or misogynistic.

Yolo Aliki’s article on The Good Men Project shows that assumption is actually a misconception, and that gay men are fully capable of misogynistic and sexist behavior.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-AqTIHtAB-w]

I was recently linked to the video above of a lecture given at a university symposium by John Stoltenberg in which he explains his “Game Theory of Gender.” It simply, but effectively, boils down some of the main cultural pressures which create and perpetuate misogyny, specifically gay male misogyny. It’s worth a watch precisely because though it doesn’t let anyone off the hook for their actions, it isn’t about trying to place blame.

Interesting side note: the reverse is not true. The most common misconception about lesbian attitudes towards men is that they’re all man haters. There’s another article in that somewhere, I’m sure of it.

Sound off on your reaction to the video in the comments.

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image – Johan Larsson

This article appeared in a slightly different version over at The Good Men Project.