Gaydar

[sbk]

I think they wore pointy sandals back in those days endure...

[doggie888888]

It's my personal opinion that pointy shoes are an abomination and I'm sure The Lord would have worked an extra verse into Leviticus if they'd been around when he wrote the Bible.

Forgive them for they know not what they wear!

[LeCharivari]

What I find a little strange is how so many of those you see in "Pride" parades in the US look stereotypically gay, while so many of those in the UK just look perfectly "normal". On the other hand, no-one seemed to notice that Anthony Blunt and Guy Burgess were gay, so who knows ....?

I think that's really quite peceptive. There's clearly a cultural thing at work there in addition to any innate sexuality. A bit like the difference between function and presentation.......You could characterise the USA stereotype described above as being overt advertising, with the UK version being overt conformity. .....

From those I have met (and I admit that I know far more gay Thais than I do gay farangs, and only a comparative few of those are gay Americans) I think the biggest difference between "the USA stereotype" and "the UK version" is not so much any visual difference but a difference in how they are perceived (and perceive themselves) as representative of gays.

In the UK (and I think most European countries) gays see themselves and are seen as being much the same as anyone else but just with a sexual preference for men instead of women: no big deal, nothing to make a fuss about, and the flamboyants (like Boy George) and the extremists (like Peter Tatchell) are seen as being unrepresentative of gays by gays and straights alike. In the US, on the other hand, these extremists and flamboyants are seen by themselves, by their fellow vocal gays, and by the straight majority as being typical of and speaking for all American gays (if not all gays).

[MarkBKK]

It's my personal opinion that pointy shoes are an abomination and I'm sure The Lord would have worked an extra verse into Leviticus if they'd been around when he wrote the Bible.

Forgive them for they know not what they wear!

Dirk wears white socks (and God bless him for it).

[JohnC]

hmmm , where I come from Gaydar is a gay website with chat rooms etc!

[tombkk]

From those I have met (and I admit that I know far more gay Thais than I do gay farangs, and only a comparative few of those are gay Americans) I think the biggest difference between "the USA stereotype" and "the UK version" is not so much any visual difference but a difference in how they are perceived (and perceive themselves) as representative of gays.

In the UK (and I think most European countries) gays see themselves and are seen as being much the same as anyone else but just with a sexual preference for men instead of women: no big deal, nothing to make a fuss about, and the flamboyants (like Boy George) and the extremists (like Peter Tatchell) are seen as being unrepresentative of gays by gays and straights alike. In the US, on the other hand, these extremists and flamboyants are seen by themselves, by their fellow vocal gays, and by the straight majority as being typical of and speaking for all American gays (if not all gays).

I'm afraid I agree with you.