The host pulled seven magazines from the shelf that all showcased white, muscular or lean bodies. Physique magazines are emblematic of how traditional masculine ideologies are imbedded into gay male culture concerning desirability.
In this instance, it was gay print media that looked a lot like physique magazines. There was one element of the BBC News segment that I’m glad was discussed: gay media. RELATED: Why I’m tired of white gay men telling queer stories While some have and continue to do so, largely, many gay men are beholden to traditional modes of masculinity that is fundamental to our understanding of worth, attraction, desirability. Moreover, under patriarchy, where gayness is deemed inherently un-masculine, even a threat to idealized masculinity, gay men have the opportunity to subvert traditional masculine ideologies. World War II propaganda is a model example for ways maleness, masculinity, muscularity (and whiteness) are communicated as powerful and desirable. A body ripped with muscles presents as strong, successful, and dominant – all gender-specific traits that are direct results of traditional masculine ideals. The most salient display of masculinity is physical appearance. Under the thumb of patriarchy, masculinity reigns supreme and maintains a system that values masculinity over femininity in every respect. While I whole-heartedly agree with Robinson and Frost, we must also analyze the influence of white supremacist patriarchy within the mainstream gay male culture for a more accurate censure. Frost suggest that mainstream gay male culture may be to blame. If you are active on the internet, a participant on gay dating apps such as Grindr or Jack’d, go out to gay bars or nightclubs, or even have an Instagram, you are well acquainted with how much value is placed on the body amongst gay men. Gay men in particular have been impacted by these expectations which often lead to body/muscle dysmorphia, eating disorders, over-exercising, low self-esteem, and depression. In order to have a serious discussion concerning desirability, we must first identify the external influences (race, gender, class) that are foundational in shaping which bodies are “acceptable” and which aren’t.Ĭolonial scripts of desirability have seeped into every community, often uplifting eurocentric beauty standards and expectations. While well-intended, the segment fell flat because it was a one-dimensional representation of how desire and attraction are formed and developed among gay men. During the segment, the host spoke with different men about the pressure to have the “perfect” body in order to be “accepted” in gay male communities. Their reaction seems to me in direct proportion to the sense of feeling cheated of the advantages which accrue to white people in a white society.- James BaldwinĮarlier this year, BBC News released a segment that attempted to delineate gay men’s obsession with fit, well-sculpted, “acceptable” bodies. The anomaly of their sexuality puts them in danger, unexpectedly. I think white gay people feel cheated because they were born, in principle, into a society in which they were supposed to be safe. The sexual question comes after the question of color it’s simply one more aspect of the danger in which all black people live.