MovieChat Forums > Milk (2009) Discussion > Please , anyone to help me understand st...

Please , anyone to help me understand sths about homosexuality :)

posted 11 years ago by sherineyousery
4 replies | jump to latest

I live in Egypt , and it's pretty much conservative here . No one can ever talk about homosexuality or even anything remotely related to sexuality . There are many things that I know nothing about regarding homosexuality and I am planning to read about . However , there's one question I always wondered about and I needed other people's experiences and visions in that matter more than I needed books .

Why do movies almost always portray homosexual men as smooth men , too feminine like that ?! I thought maybe in some more " enlightening " movies I wouldn't find the same stereotype but I did . I am in medical school , but I haven't yet studied those things , but from my limited knowledge , I know that someone with that feminine behaviour must be troubled either psychologically ( like , can't fit and wants to be a woman ) or physiologically ( due to hormonal imbalance for example ) . However , I have seen many movies portraying totally healthy homosexual men with a rather feminine attitude .

Excuse me for my ignorance , but I have never met a homosexual man or even got the chance to know any better about it . All insights are welcome , thank you :)

[–] stefanheikel 11 years ago

Thank you for your questions:

-movies frequently portray gay men as smooth and feminine because that's what society has deemed as the "ideal" gay man. For more information on more masculine, hairy gay men, I suggest you look up "Bear culture".

-feminine behaviors in gay men are likely the result of genetics and hormones, which are obviously determined in the womb as a child is developing.

-most feminine gay men I know are very mentally healthy. The reason they may not be is through society not being accepting of them.

Hope this is helpful to you!

[–] sherineyousery 11 years ago

Thank you :)

[–] InsanityIsTrueSanity 11 years ago

-most feminine gay men I know are very mentally healthy. The reason they may not be is through society not being accepting of them.

This is true. I would know, my boyfriend is feminine. I wouldn't be considered a feminine man (or effeminate, as that's the correct term), more of a bear, I suppose.

Also, there is a good chance you have met a gay man and you didn't even know it because they were in the closet.

You're just a little boy in a playsuit, crying for mommy and daddy!

[–] sherineyousery 11 years ago

Yeah, maybe. I just live in a very conservative society. Thank you :)