There's no question that there's a cult of masculinity among many gay men, one that encourages us to hit the gym, flex our muscles and "fit in" with a larger male culture that wants us to be Superman, instead of super slim. But does that culture also impact our politics?
Activist Richard Lyon seems to think so. From his most recent piece at Huffington Post:
From an effort to counter the notion that all gay men are effeminate, they have moved toward the position that all gay men should present an image of red-blooded American masculinity. The drive toward becoming respectable leaves no room for the presence of gay men who are less than fully and thoroughly butch.
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We see a good bit of political conflict about the inclusion of the transgender community under the LGBT/queer tent. Self-declared gay pundits like Dan Savage and John Aravosis have, on repeated occasions, questioned the desirability of a close alliance between the two groups. To my mind it is not just a clear-cut issue of trans vs. gay. There seems to be a notion that the all-new and improved gay image will be devalued by association with anyone who doesn't conform to the masculinity specification. This includes gay men who fail to measure up on the butch index.
Questions? Comments? Critique?