[Jeff]

Why do so many gay men speak with a lisp?

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Name : Jeff, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 27, City : Upland, State : CA Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Matthew]

I am gay, and none of my friends speak with a lisp.

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Name : Matthew, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 45, City : New York, State : NY Country : United States, 

[Mark]

I agree with Matthew. While there are still gay men who are effeminate (and proud of it), they are far fewer in number than just a few years ago. In the past, many gay men developed effeminate mannerisms as a defense mechanism, and as a way to revel in their 'differentness' once they accepted their sexuality. Gay men have always enjoyed crossing gender lines and questioning the need for the strict roles society forces on us. These days, as fewer gay men see themselves as outcasts, we act 'fabulous' only for fun, and turn it on or off to suit the occasion. So if you think the majority of gay men act effeminate, you're unaware of how many gays are around you everyday!

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Name : Mark, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 49, City : New York, State : NY Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Pete30377]

From my experience, many gay men don't speak with a lisp. Perhaps your perception of the gay stereotype is of a man who speaks with a lisp, and that's why you have the above question.

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Name : Pete30377, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, City : Adelaide, State : NA Country : Australia, 

[ShirleyAvery]

Though i'm a straight female, I took a Phonetics course in college & the professor was gay. He verified that, in fact, there is a recognized phenomenon called 'gay lisp'. Not all gay men lisp, but among those who do, it may have developed as a signal to other gays.

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Name : ShirleyAvery, Gender : F, Disability : none, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 52, City : st. louis, State : MO Country : United States, Occupation : writer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Max Holmes]

While I agree that there are certain vocal characteristics that sometimes distinguish SOME gay men, I do not find lisping to be a common one at all. Perhaps do not recognize gay men who do not lisp, so to your limited perception, it seems that most or all gay men share this characteristic. Not at all true. I wonder, also, if you mistake lisping straight men for gay...

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Name : Max Holmes, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White / Melungeon, Religion : Atheist, Age : 48, City : Oakland, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : teacher, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Richard]

There is truth to this; many gays men lisp and very few straight men do. There are quite a few other cues about who is gay--though you'll always find exceptions. Gays generally have: 1. a smaller chin (put another way, their mouths are centered between their nose and the bottom of their chin, like women. Straight men have mouths that are higher, nearer to their noses. 2. Often gays wear a wedding ring on their right (rather than left) hand. 3. Gays often have feminine gestures and attitudes. Not all gays, but most. I think that most gays are genetically programmed to be the way they are...and these various characteristics derive from a genetic cause. I realize that this is currently an unpopular set of beliefs, but thinking that the earth was round was, at one time, quite a minority view.

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Name : Richard, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Baptist, Age : 59, City : greensboro, State : NC Country : United States, Occupation : writer, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Richard F]

I would love to see an answer here, not based on 'feeling' or conjecture, but on solid research. Does such research exist? Indeed not all gays lisp. And likely that MOST gays do not lisp and conversely a lisp would not indicate 'gayness'. But I am curious if the percentage of gays that lisp is or is not in deviation to other factors such as race or biological gender, and if gays lisp at a higher rate as a group, I would be curious as to what the research reveals as a possible explanation.

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Name : Richard F, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 52, City : Harrisonburg, State : VA Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Gregory Grondin]

I've known several gay men, and only one that had a lisp, and it was just a speech impediment. I've known a couple of effeminate gay men too, but one was just naturally energetic. Some people do it because they feel more themselves that way. Others because it's a way of revealing their orientation without actually saying it. But there are many gay men who don't have lisps or who arn't effeminate.

User Detail :  

Name : Gregory Grondin, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 27, City : Saint John, State : NA Country : Canada, Occupation : Software Developer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

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