Masc gay men
Gay men are liable to feel incredibly insecure over their masculinity, a kind of internalized homophobia that leads them to idolize 'masc 4 masc', 'gaybros' and [to] shame and oppress femme men.”.
While there has been a number of content analysis studies identifying mascing behavior and the pressure to perform a hyper-masculinity online, there have been very few studies that engage gay men and ask them about their attitudes and experiences in these discriminatory online spaces. For gay men, masc has a bit of baggage, given stereotypes surrounding masculinity, femininity, and traditional gender roles (even self-imposed ones).
Time and time again, the themes of feeling protected, dominated and validated emerged as the payoff for bagging a masculine man. Someone who calls masc guys “real men” assumes gay men should be in mutually masculine partnerships—attracted to the masculine. They only know what masculinity looks like from the outside—a deep voice, muscles, power, stereotypical mannerisms or victory in competition, for example.
On one hand, there’s nothing wrong with calling yourself masc if it’s what makes you feel good. He tries to eradicate his own sexuality by projecting it onto others and eradicating it. These conversations suggested three masc but overlapping roles masculinity plays in sexual relationships with men. One group is drawn to masculine men because they feel protected. The performance of masculinity dictates how some gay men communicate on gay hookup and dating apps: those who identify as “masc,” those who specifically seek out “MASC ONLY (no femme.
A third group reveals that connecting with masculine men validates their own masculinity and helps them feel more masculine. What sparks my curiosity is the role masculinity plays in our sex lives and what our longing for and fetishizing of masculinity men about the gay experience. If market price is a function of supply and demand, then my advice is to start investing in masculinity. For a variety of reasons—innate and learned—masculinity is like catnip to a significant percentage of gay men, and it appears to be in short supply.
A good example is the phrase “masc4masc,” which is majorly contentious among gay men. We are so focused on masculine versus feminine that we forget another spectrum exists. That stuff is flying off the shelves. Masc is used to describe a person who is presenting as masculine and is on the LGBTQ+ spectrum.
The men who I interviewed overwhelmingly expressed that hyper-masculine and “straight-acting” men are glorified within gay spaces online and, furthermore, that deliberately making oneself appear more masculine online is a common practice. Gay men are liable to feel incredibly insecure over their masculinity, a kind of internalized homophobia that leads them to idolize 'masc 4 masc', 'gaybros' and [to] shame and oppress femme men.”.
Young boys, not having yet been initiated into gay mature masculinity by adult men, have a childlike view of what it means to be a man. We only know masculinity by contrasting it with what is feminine because we only know masculinity from the outside, the way a boy does. So what are we projecting onto masculine men? Why do so many of us share a longing for protection, domination and validation?
Here’s the surprising truth I’ve discovered: Gay men are often more masculine than they recognize, and not only the ones with big muscles. Our fetishized longing for masculinity could suggest that, as gay men, there is a part of our masculinity that remains underdeveloped, like that of a boy. Gay men in our culture appear to view masculinity the same way.
A masculinity that can protect, be dominant and is felt in our core to be valid. According to Carl Jung, one of the forefathers of modern psychology, we all have aspects of our personality that we deny, hide or have not fully developed. Another group says they enjoy feeling dominated by masculine energy. For gay men, masc has a bit of baggage, given stereotypes surrounding masculinity, femininity, and traditional gender roles (even self-imposed ones).
I propose that we have not yet masc gay men developed our own masculinity. Gay men tend to be hyper-aware of the masculine-feminine spectrum. Considering there are many different genders and types of people, this term – along with femme – is incredibly useful to those trying to understand the fluidity of the spectrum within their own binary. Schedule Your Free 15 min. A good example is the phrase “masc4masc,” which is majorly contentious among gay men.
From one perspective, the opposite of masculine is feminine. From another perspective, the opposite of masculine is the pre-masculine boy. Transgender men – those who were assigned female at birth but are or have transitioned to a male identity – may use the term masc to describe how they present at that moment, as compelled by their dysphoria.