Gaydar
Encyclopedia : G : GA : GAY : Gaydar
- For the personal name, see Gaidar.
The idea of "gaydar" relies on indirect senses and intuitions rather than direct questions ("Are you gay?") or fact-finding (like researching the identity of previous romantic partners). It also relies on sensitivity to certain mannerisms: anything from flamboyant or overt rejection of traditional gender roles (including occupation, grooming habits, and so on) to more subtle clues, like one's style preferences or other personal tastes or habits.
Stereotype reinforcement
Some feel the idea of "gaydar" has a negative effect on the perception of sexual orientation because it reinforces social stereotypes about gay people. [link] [link] [link]
The idea of gaydar as an ability is also complicated by homomasculinity (gay men exhibiting masculine characteristics) and the rise of the metrosexual.[[Citing sources citation needed]]
Scientific research
A study by the Philadelphia's Monell Chemical Senses Center, published in the Journal of Psychological Science found that "gay men were found to be particularly good at detecting the scent of other gay men". Martins, Yolanda; Preti, George; Crabtree, Christina R.; Runyan, Tamar; A. Vainius, Aldona; Wysocki, Charles J. "Preference for Human Body Odors is Influenced by Gender and Sexual Orientation." Psychological Science 16 (2005): 694-701. [link] [link]
William Lee Adams, an undergraduate at Harvard proposed a thesis which replicates earlier work by his advisor, Dr. Nalini Ambady who is now at Tufts University. Ambady's original study published in 1999 showed that homosexuals are better at correctly identifying sexual orientation than heterosexuals from silent videos and photographs. [link] Similar work by Rudolph Gaudio in 1994 showed that men's sexual orientation can be reliably identified from their voices, too. Gaudio, Rudolph (1994) “Sounding Gay: Pitch Properties in the Speech of Gay and Straight Men.” American Speech 69: 30-57. This finding was elaborated by Ron Smyth and colleagues in 2003. [link]
Further reading
- Gaydar by Donald F. Reuter (ISBN 060961102X)
- The Man Who Would Be Queen by J. Michael Bailey (ISBN 0309084180)
- [NPR Program on gaydar]
- [Psychology Today: Queer Eyes: Blips on the Gaydar]
See also
Notes
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