“I Never Would Have Guessed He’s Gay!”
Have you ever said these words? Have you heard someone else say them? Have you thought about what they really mean?
By JJ Vincent
They’re usually spoken with surprise and disbelief. You hear them a lot when a celebrity comes out, especially a man known for manly roles: action heroes, womanizers, boozy schlubs, the EveryMan who works hard and comes home to a life that looks very familiar to most of us.
It’s likely these celebrities have spent plenty of time as themselves as well, on talk shows, in interviews, in magazines, at public appearances. By the time they’ve reached a point when coming out makes the news, they’re already a media commodity. We know them, or we think we do.
So what’s with the gasping and gawking?
Stereotypes. And they are alive and well.
There’s not a lot of shock when a stage actor or visual artist comes out, or a fashion designer or makeup artist. These are jobs people associate with gay men. There’s not a lot of shock when an effeminate man comes out. After all, isn’t that how you can tell, by their carriage and demeanor, that they’re a little bit light in their loafers?
Really?
