
Episode :
99Do I Sound Gay? Masculinity, Shame, Break-Ups with David Thorpe
Do I sound gay? Gay and straight men alike (and those totally visible bi guys inbetween) have asked themselves this for decades. It is typically a shameful question most frequently queried inside our own heads. Filmmaker David Thorpe made a documentary, Do I Sound Gay?, to explore the stereotypically gay "accent" and the shame that surrounds it. This episode puts the 'th' in 'fabulous'—and doesn't give a rat's ass who hearsth it!
David Thorpe's documentary Do I Sound Gay?, featuring Dan Savage, Don Lemon, and David Sedaris, is now streaming on Netflix. After a bad break-up, Thorpe became self-conscious (again) about his effeminate gay voice. He visits prominent gay celebrities, speech therapists, and old friends to explore why homosexuals typically talk like this and the shame that surrounds such an innate part of a human being—their voice. Also, we talk about dating difficulties and how worry is wasted on the youth.
Bullying is a problem so many children face. LGBT kids then have one more reason to be concerned on the playground. We discuss our histories with bullying and homophobic slurs. We also ask, "What's up?" with the sexism amongst gay men who won't date femme dudes.