gaydar

This page is about the intuition; for the website, see Gaydar (website)

Gaydar (a portmanteau of gay and radar) is a slang term for the supposed ability to be able to tell on sight if another person is gay, bisexual or otherwise not heterosexual. The idea of gaydar tends to be limited to indirect senses and intuitions rather than direct questions ("Are you gay?") or fact-finding (like researching the identity of previous romantic partners). Its operation is sometimes claimed to depend on sensitivity to a wide variety of clues: anything from flamboyant or overt violations of traditional gender roles (including occupation, grooming habits, and so on) or more subtle clues, like one's style preferences or other personal tastes or habits. It can also be conceived simply as intuition. Some people claim (sometimes tongue-in-cheek) that their gaydar is so finely tuned that they can tell whether or not a person is gay before that person knows himself/herself. Many people feel this notion should not be perpetuated because it reinforces social stereotypes about gay people. In general, the social, biological, and personal attributes of gay people spans the same range as the general human population. (Though for more information about possible biological correlations with sexual orientation, see Genetics and sexual orientation.) The only attributes that the entire class will certainly share is that which defines the class — sexual preference (and even this can be a complex or ambiguous question at times). Of course, some people do employ certain mannerisms or fashions to intentionally advertise their sexual orientation whether for dating purposes or general social affiliation. This kind of social symbol can be more (or less) subtle than a rainbow flag or other explicit/external paraphernalia. Observers who are aware of these advertisements might be said to have a certain kind of "gaydar". However, the reliability of these signals is confounded by homomasculinity (many gay men prefer masculine mates) and the rise of the straight metrosexual. Gaydar is often treated as an ironic joke or clich, especially in the gay community, where it is often wished for but also often disappoints. Of course, some people continue to engage in serious attempts to divine others' sexual orientations from indirect attributes.

Gaydar

See also