Does Gaydar Really exist?

[San Lumen]

So I thought we could take a break from the often heated debates and discuss an interesting concept in psychology. The concept of Gaydar. For those who don't know Gaydar is the supposed ability to tell if someone is gay based on their voice, occupation, grooming, mannerisms and overall looks.

A number of studies have been done and the jury is out as to whether it is a real thing but the evidence points to their possibly being some truth to it.

Personally I think it does exist. Im very good at telling when someone is gay or not. Plus some friends of mine have excellent "gaydar" and tell even if some of the more "masculine" gay people are. It's also been said in the LGBT community that gay men especially have a sort of sixth sense and can tell if your gay just by being in your vicinity.

One of my favorite youtubers did a video a few years ago on his college campus asking guys if he was gay. Only a few of the straight guys said yes, but all the gay guys he spoke to said yes.

What's your view NSG? Does Gaydar really exist?

[Hammer Britannia]

No, the "Gaydar" is figurative

[Sovaal]

So I thought we could take a break from the often heated debates and discuss an interesting concept in psychology. The concept of Gaydar. For those who don't know Gaydar is the supposed ability to tell if someone is gay based on their voice, occupation, grooming, mannerisms and overall looks.

A number of studies have been done and the jury is out as to whether it is a real thing but the evidence points to their possibly being some truth to it.

Personally I think it does exist. Im very good at telling when someone is gay or not. Plus some friends of mine have excellent "gaydar" and tell even if some of the more "masculine" gay people are. It's also been said in the LGBT community that gay men especially have a sort of sixth sense and can tell if your gay just by being in your vicinity.

One of my favorite youtubers did a video a few years ago on his college campus asking guys if he was gay. Only a few of the straight guys said yes, but all the gay guys he spoke to said yes.

What's your view NSG? Does Gaydar really exist?

my step brother has a relatively high voice, dress pretty "modern", and can be effeminate at times. He's married to my sister-in-law, is a Republican, and a minister at his church.

So no.

[San Lumen]

No, the "Gaydar" is figurative

how so?

[The Serbian Empire]

If it did, GOP politicians would be cast aside more often as gay men would be able to pick out the closeted politicians.

[San Lumen]

If it did, GOP politicians would be cast aside more often as gay men would be able to pick out the closeted politicians.

I dont understand what you mean.

[Sovaal]

If it did, GOP politicians would be cast aside more often as gay men would be able to pick out the closeted politicians.

I dont understand what you mean.

Several anti-gay conservative politicians where found to be in the closet.

[Socialist Mercanda]

I don't know, i'm gay and I sorta believe it exists, but only for The Gays. I don't know, sometimes you see a guy and you just sorta get it. Like you sorta know. But you, more often than not, are pretty wrong I guess it's more wishful thinking than anything else.

[San Lumen]

I don't know, i'm gay and I sorta believe it exists, but only for The Gays. I don't know, sometimes you see a guy and you just sorta get it. Like you sorta know. But you, more often than not, are pretty wrong I guess it's more wishful thinking than anything else.

Ive found that some LGBT people are pretty good at it. Im right more often than not.

[The Widening Gyre]

Ehh. Speaking as a fellow gay I suspect it's more confirmation bias than anything else. We tend to remember the cases where we're proven right and forget the ones where we aren't. Doesn't mean it's any less fun to speculate, of course.

[Telconi]

I think it's just people's assumptions based upon their preconception of homosexuality. I'be known quite effeminate heterosexual men, and quite masculine homosexual men. I had a classmate in school I was close friends with who I never knew was gay until Senior year. Even as an adult he wasn't very readily identified as "gay" to most people.

So, while people believe they have "good gaydar" I think it's more chacne and preconceptions than anything. After all there's no outward trait that defines homosexuality.

[Sovaal]

Ehh. Speaking as a fellow gay I suspect it's more confirmation bias than anything else. We tend to remember the cases where we're proven right and forget the ones where we aren't. Doesn't mean it's any less fun to speculate, of course.

I would think that speculating people's sexuality, a pretty sensitive subject, isn't the most polite thing to do.

[Thermodolia]

I don't know, i'm gay and I sorta believe it exists, but only for The Gays. I don't know, sometimes you see a guy and you just sorta get it. Like you sorta know. But you, more often than not, are pretty wrong I guess it's more wishful thinking than anything else.

Ive found that some LGBT people are pretty good at it. Im right more often than not.

Ever heard of "it takes one to know one"? Because that's what's happening. It's not a gaydar or anything like that it's just that because you're gay you know what to look for in other gays.

This phenomenon isn't exclusive to the gays either. Having been in the military i can easily spot those who where in the military.

[Senkaku]

It's real and you should be afraid now.

[San Lumen]

I think it's just people's assumptions based upon their preconception of homosexuality. I'be known quite effeminate heterosexual men, and quite masculine homosexual men. I had a classmate in school I was close friends with who I never knew was gay until Senior year. Even as an adult he wasn't very readily identified as "gay" to most people.

So, while people believe they have "good gaydar" I think it's more chacne and preconceptions than anything. After all there's no outward trait that defines homosexuality.

I don't think its chance. I've done an experiment with friends of mine where i've shown them videos or pictures of people i follow on Instagram and Youtube and have been mostly correct in guessing that they were gay.

[Telconi]

I think it's just people's assumptions based upon their preconception of homosexuality. I'be known quite effeminate heterosexual men, and quite masculine homosexual men. I had a classmate in school I was close friends with who I never knew was gay until Senior year. Even as an adult he wasn't very readily identified as "gay" to most people.

So, while people believe they have "good gaydar" I think it's more chacne and preconceptions than anything. After all there's no outward trait that defines homosexuality.

I don't think its chance. I've done an experiment with friends of mine where i've shown them videos or pictures of people i follow on Instagram and Youtube and have been mostly correct in guessing that they were gay.

That could also b covered under preconception. If you showed me a picture and asked me "is this person gay" I would presume that there's a greater than random chance that he is.

[Major-Tom]

Depends. If someone is walking out of a local coffee shop with an Urban Outfitters outfit and sipping on a chai tea, I may make an assumption.

Stereotypes aside, gaydar is really just how we perceive things. Like, if someone acts in a way in which we perceive to be homosexual, then I suppose we may say "huh I bet he/she is gay." Doesn't mean we have an innate gaydar.

[Minoa]

I don't wanna put any pressure on any LGBT person to come out when they are not ready.

[Major-Tom]

I don't wanna put any pressure on any LGBT person to come out when they are not ready.

That too. If I suspect someone is gay, that's none of my business.

[Thermodolia]

Depends. If someone is walking out of a local coffee shop with an Urban Outfitters outfit and sipping on a chai tea, I may make an assumption.

Stereotypes aside, gaydar is really just how we perceive things. Like, if someone acts in a way in which we perceive to be homosexual, then I suppose we may say "huh I bet he/she is gay." Doesn't mean we have an innate gaydar.

Pretty much.

If you had instead saw a 5' 7" 170lb football jock walking down the street you probably wouldn't think twice about the fact that they might be gay.

And that was me growing up.

[Major-Tom]

Depends. If someone is walking out of a local coffee shop with an Urban Outfitters outfit and sipping on a chai tea, I may make an assumption.

Stereotypes aside, gaydar is really just how we perceive things. Like, if someone acts in a way in which we perceive to be homosexual, then I suppose we may say "huh I bet he/she is gay." Doesn't mean we have an innate gaydar.

Pretty much.

If you had instead saw a 5' 7" 170lb football jock walking down the street you probably wouldn't think twice about the fact that they might be gay.

And that was me growing up.

As a straight dude, my "gaydar" can be shit. One exception is a good friend of mine. He's an ultra conservative, redneck, and is generally fiercely independent and offensive. Even though he acted homophobic, I always had a hunch.

Turns out I was right. Dude is still mostly closeted, though.

[The Widening Gyre]

Ehh. Speaking as a fellow gay I suspect it's more confirmation bias than anything else. We tend to remember the cases where we're proven right and forget the ones where we aren't. Doesn't mean it's any less fun to speculate, of course.

I would think that speculating people's sexuality, a pretty sensitive subject, isn't the most polite thing to do.

Why?

It's real and you should be afraid now.

We should be more worried about people who think they've developed gaydar and want to use it more than whether or not it actually works.

[Thermodolia]

Pretty much.

If you had instead saw a 5' 7" 170lb football jock walking down the street you probably wouldn't think twice about the fact that they might be gay.

And that was me growing up.

As a straight dude, my "gaydar" can be shit. One exception is a good friend of mine. He's an ultra conservative, redneck, and is generally fiercely independent and offensive. Even though he acted homophobic, I always had a hunch.

Turns out I was right. Dude is still mostly closeted, though.

Are you sure you didn't go back in time to my childhood? Because that's pretty much my teenage years up until about 16

[MERIZoC]

My friend completely blindsided me when he came out. Maybe some people do, but I sure as hell don't, unless people are presenting or speaking in a very certain way.

[Purpelia]

It's real alright. Unless a person is actively trying to project differently (like say an actor on TV or a person actively pretending he is of an opposite sexual orientation than he is) you can usually tell homosexuals from heterosexuals by the way they... well are. It's not super accurate mind you, so there are going to be false positives and different people will have better or worse abilities with it. But that's true for any biological mechanism. And I don't think you can really pin it to anything as superficial as mannerisms or voice modulation. I think it's more like pheromones. Like, the same way you feel oddly attracted to some people even though you can't explain it only in reverse. Like, the body knows.