• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Politics
  • Health
  • Travel
  • Gay Pride
  • Music
  • Sports
  • Law/Justice
  • Celebrities
  • Men
  • Space
  • Science
  • Gay Iconography
  • Madonna
  • Books
  • Monkeypox
  • Film/TV

Do You Deepen Your ‘Gay Voice’ to Sound More Masculine When First Meeting Someone?

Andy Towle April 27, 2018 Leave a Comment

voice rainbow
Rainbow by andrea allen (cc by 2. 0)

A new study by researchers at the University of Surrey, Instituto Universitario in Portugal and University of Padua in Italy, has revealed that a majority of gay men deepen their voices when first meeting someone in order to project a more masculine demeanor.

Body Conscious Gay Men's Health, Sex, and SelfThe researchers surveyed 241 people – gay, lesbian, and heterosexual – for the study and say that “men believed their voices are more revealing of their sexual orientation than women, indicating that stronger stereotypes about gay voice exist for men than women.”

Those stereotypes are mostly high-pitched, lisping, and effeminate.

The researchers added: “It was also identified that heterosexual men, who perceived themselves as more masculine sounding than homosexual men, wanted their voice to identify their sexual orientation when meeting someone for the first time. Researchers believe this may be due to concerns about being misidentified as homosexual, leaving them vulnerable to discrimination and lessening their chances of attracting a female partner.”

While straight men wanted their sexual orientation to be known, the researchers noted, “gay men and lesbian women showed no desire for their voice to disclose their sexual orientation as it could potentially make them unwanted targets of prejudice.”

Said Dr Fabio Fasoli, Research Fellow at the University of Surrey: “What we have learnt in this study is that individuals share stereotypes about voice as an indicator of sexual orientation. Fears of discrimination and being subject to unwanted stereotyping may lead people to alter their voice, in particular men trying to sound more masculine to conform to social norms. It is disappointing that in 2018 stereotypes about masculinity/femininity persists and fears of being misidentified/identified as gay and lesbian still exists. This may explain why a person feels the need to alter how they present themselves.”

The topic was addressed in journalist David Thorpe’s excellent 2015 documentary Do I Sound Gay? In the film (trailer below), Thorpe explored the feelings of self-consciousness and internalized homophobia inspired by his sterotypically gay voice.

Towleroad interviewed Thorpe about his film when it came out. Thorpe’s responses mirrored some of the results of the above study. He labels the voice modification as “code-switching” and notes that it happens all the time.

Said Thorpe: “Some is involuntary and totally natural. But for me I was code-switching because I was ashamed to just sound gay or be gay or be myself. One of the general questions that I hope is floating around the film is when are we changing because it is just natural and who we are and when are we changing because we don’t like who we are? I stand in awe of my effeminate gay male friends who do not code-switch, who are just as queeny when they talk to the guy fixing their car as when they’re kiki-ing about Barbra Streisand. I think that’s incredibly brave. If I was going to embrace my gay voice, I wanted to embrace it wholeheartedly.”

He added: “For a lot of us it takes time to counteract the messages that we grew up with that being gay was wrong. But I think a lot of non-gay people actually don’t know that. That’s been borne out from straight people who’ve seen the film. They just were not aware that gay men could remain with feelings of shame. I think I wanted people to ask themselves hard questions that maybe they weren’t asking because that’s how I managed to grow.”

Does all this sound familiar? Have you ever found yourself changing your voice to suit a situation? Let us know in the comments below.

 

Body Conscious: Gay Men’s Health, Sex, and Self is a new regular twice-monthly feature from Towleroad covering the unique issues gay men face with regard to physical and mental fitness. 

If you are a writer/professional with a background in gay men’s health interested in contributing to this regular column, shoot us an email at jobs-at-www.towleroad.com.

Topics: towleroad More Posts About: Body Conscious, Gay Voice, Health, mental health

Related Posts
  • US marks 1 mn Covid deaths, early epicenter New York seeks to move on
  • Almost three times as many died as a result of COVID than officially reported – WHO
  • People with certain health conditions ‘more likely to end their life’
  • Activists Rally, Make Case For Thailand Marriage Equality; Present Rewritten Version of  Constitutional Court’s Ruling On Marriage Law

    Activists Rally, Make Case For Thailand Marriage Equality; Present Rewritten Version of Constitutional Court’s Ruling On Marriage Law

    On May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia(IDAHOT), activists held a rally for LGBTQ+ rights and called for marriage equality by rewriting the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the Thai marriage law. On November 17, …Read More »
  • New House map sets stage for Brooklyn slugfest headlined by Bill de Blasio, Mondaire Jones

    New House map sets stage for Brooklyn slugfest headlined by Bill de Blasio, Mondaire Jones

    Published by New York Daily News NEW YORK — The ink has barely dried on New York’s much-revised House map, but a radically transformed 10th Congressional District has set the stage for an unruly political scramble …Read More »
  • Kate McKinnon Leaving SNL; What? Also Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson  and Kyle Mooney Set to Depart After This Season.  Season Finale TONIGHT

    Kate McKinnon Leaving SNL; What? Also Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson and Kyle Mooney Set to Depart After This Season. Season Finale TONIGHT

      Published by InsideHook   By Tobias Carroll The current season of Saturday Night Live featured the show’s largest cast ever, with 21 different comedians appearing on screen at various points during the year. Based on …Read More »
  • Explicit Photos To Blame? ‘Speechless’ Madonna Is Outraged After Being BLOCKED From Instagram Live

    Explicit Photos To Blame? ‘Speechless’ Madonna Is Outraged After Being BLOCKED From Instagram Live

    Published by Radar Online KCS Presse / MEGA Madonna was in utter shock to discover that Instagram had blocked her from going live, sharing a video of the awkward moment she found out on Friday. “What …Read More »
Previous Post: « The Trailer for ‘Whitney’, an Estate-Approved Documentary About the Music Icon, is Here – WATCH
Next Post: Janelle Monáe, Louis, Patrick Conroy, Nobel Prize Talk, Fredrik Eklund, Continental Baths, Camila Cabello: HOT LINKS »

Primary Sidebar

News

  • Harris, White House Spox Rip Oklahoma For Passing Near-Total Abortion Ban Weeks After Leaked Supreme Court Opinion

    Harris, White House Spox Rip Oklahoma For Passing Near-Total Abortion Ban Weeks After Leaked Supreme Court Opinion

  • Trump pays $110,000 fine for blocking New York state tax probe

    Trump pays $110,000 fine for blocking New York state tax probe

  • Erdogan demands concessions to back Swedish, Finnish NATO membership

    Erdogan demands concessions to back Swedish, Finnish NATO membership

  • Zelensky says Ukraine has ‘broken the backbone’ of the Russian army

    Zelensky says Ukraine has ‘broken the backbone’ of the Russian army

Break

  • Evan Spiegel & Miranda Kerr Pay Off $10 Million In Loans Of Otis College’s Graduating Class

    Evan Spiegel & Miranda Kerr Pay Off $10 Million In Loans Of Otis College’s Graduating Class

  • Vladimir Putin’s Daughter SECRETLY Living In Germany With Man Named Igor Zelensky

    Vladimir Putin’s Daughter SECRETLY Living In Germany With Man Named Igor Zelensky

  • Tucker Carlson: Voice of white America’s outrage and fears

    Tucker Carlson: Voice of white America’s outrage and fears

  • Viola Davis was called by director’s maid’s name

    Viola Davis was called by director’s maid’s name

RSS Partner Links

  • Will Prince Charles & the Queen deal with the ‘counsellors of state’ issue soon?
  • Mayor Sadiq Khan invited the Sussexes to LA & they invited him to Montecito
  • Kim & Khloe Kardashian Go Gothic Glam for Kourtney Kardashian & Travis Barker's Wedding - See All the Photos!
  • Machine Gun Kelly Wears Blue Leopard-Print Suit to Travis Barker & Kourtney Kardashian's Wedding with Megan Fox
  • You're Welcome: The Might Casey Swings Out
  • Amanda Bynes Reveals The One Show She'd Return To Acting For
  • Michelle Yeoh & Mindy Kaling Honored at Gold House's 2022 Gold Gala
  • Mick Jagger Responds To The Harry Styles Comparisons, Says That Harry Is A “Superficial Resemblance” Of His Younger Self
  • John Mulaney Fans Say They Felt Ambushed By Him Bringing Dave Chappelle Out For His Show

Most Recent

  • Hayley Kiyoko Comes Out About Dating ‘Bachelor’ Star Becca Tilley In Video For Her Catchy New “For the Girls” A Parody of Lesbian Dates, Reality Tropes: WATCH

    Hayley Kiyoko Comes Out About Dating ‘Bachelor’ Star Becca Tilley In Video For Her Catchy New “For the Girls” A Parody of Lesbian Dates, Reality Tropes: WATCH

  • Activists Rally, Make Case For Thailand Marriage Equality; Present Rewritten Version of  Constitutional Court’s Ruling On Marriage Law

    Activists Rally, Make Case For Thailand Marriage Equality; Present Rewritten Version of Constitutional Court’s Ruling On Marriage Law

  • New House map sets stage for Brooklyn slugfest headlined by Bill de Blasio, Mondaire Jones

    New House map sets stage for Brooklyn slugfest headlined by Bill de Blasio, Mondaire Jones

  • Kate McKinnon Leaving SNL; What? Also Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson  and Kyle Mooney Set to Depart After This Season.  Season Finale TONIGHT

    Kate McKinnon Leaving SNL; What? Also Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson and Kyle Mooney Set to Depart After This Season. Season Finale TONIGHT

  • Explicit Photos To Blame? ‘Speechless’ Madonna Is Outraged After Being BLOCKED From Instagram Live

    Explicit Photos To Blame? ‘Speechless’ Madonna Is Outraged After Being BLOCKED From Instagram Live

  • US archbishop bans Pelosi from communion over abortion rights support

    US archbishop bans Pelosi from communion over abortion rights support

  • Giuliani meets with U.S. House Jan. 6 panel, CNN reports

    Giuliani meets with U.S. House Jan. 6 panel, CNN reports

Most Commented

Social

Twitter @tlrd | Facebook | Instagram @tlrd
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 · Log in