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-   -   Stereotypical gay voice (https://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=343047)

Alfieri January 25th, 2015 9:59 AM

Stereotypical gay voice
 
I always wondered, is the "gay" tone in a gay man's voice natural or just put on to stress their homosexuality?

I read this on reddit and was curious.
"I think it is definitely an affectation. As a nurse, I see people come out of anesthesia on a daily basis. When people are groggy, they still have their their Southern accents or their New York accents but gay people DO NOT speak that way when they are coming out of anesthesia. They sound normal. Gradually, the "gay accent" comes back as they fully wake up."

Nihilego January 25th, 2015 10:39 AM

not gonna lie, the second anybody says "as an [x], i [y...]" on reddit i just stop reading their post

i don't think it's exactly natural. the accent of where you grew up in is your natural accent. i could take a stab or two at where the, uh, "gay" intonation (which i think is a better description than accent in this case) comes from but honestly i can't say i have any idea.

Kyoe January 25th, 2015 10:48 AM

As far as I know, and have been told, it's to stress or add a more feminine sound or feel to the their voice. I've met lesbians who speak in a deeper more masculine tone too, which should prove as further evidence to that.

Really though it's not a truism. In some cases it might just be how their voice sounds. I knew a body builder a couple years back who was heterosexual and had a voice very similar to the "gay" tone.

I would say you should ask people you know irl for their opinion, but you should be careful who you ask, as it can come across as really offensive sometimes (take my word for it...). The only reason I was told anything about it is because I happen to know a guy who was kind enough to tell me. That or maybe all my friends are just used to me asking awkward questions sometimes. xD

[/inb4Andy]

Mana January 25th, 2015 10:52 AM

As a gay man my voice is just a voice...? I don't put thought into how I'm speaking I just speak. I wouldn't say I fit the typical 'gay voice' category, but it still seems to be a bit of a sweeping statement. I know quite a few camp-sounding straight people.

Kyoe January 25th, 2015 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magic (Post 8593614)
As a gay man my voice is just a voice...? I don't put thought into how I'm speaking I just speak. I wouldn't say I fit the typical 'gay voice' category, but it still seems to be a bit of a sweeping statement. I know quite a few camp-sounding straight people.

I don't think he was trying to be sweeping or make generalisations. Just ask about the tone that some people have.

Ice January 25th, 2015 11:08 AM

I have a friend, which is either straight or closeted, but people automatically assume because of the way he talks. His brother and father also have that stereotypical gay tone in their voice. I also have a gay friend, who got that toned once he came out, and he said he suppressed talking that way because he didn't want people to think he was gay. So maybe we are supposed to talk that way, and only gay people are brave enough to do it?

Zehn January 25th, 2015 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kyoe (Post 8593629)
I don't think he was trying to be sweeping or make generalisations. Just ask about the tone that some people have.


Agreed he was taking about the stereotype

Sonata January 25th, 2015 11:32 AM

I have a friend who used to be a girl but has since named herself a man and there is definitely a distinguishable change in her voice that she has mentally put into it to make herself sound more masculine. And there was also this gay kid at our highschool who said he was a girl, went to the girls bathroom, changed in the girls locker rooms, etc etc, who went out of his way to make his voice as high pitched as possible but there were times when he didn't have that and sounded like a normal guy. So to answer your question, yes. For the most part, homosexuals do go out of their way to add unnatural flair to their voices. But there are some who were just born that way and not all guys with high pitched voices or girls with lower pitched voices are gay. It just happens sometimes.

Alexander Nicholi January 25th, 2015 11:45 AM

I can do that voice so well. All my friends suck at it, it comes out retarded but I ace it. It's probably because I'm kinda gay.

When coming out of anaesthesia though I'll probably sound Southern tbh. Sadly.

Grey Wind January 25th, 2015 11:57 AM

Quote:

"I think it is definitely an affectation. As a nurse, I see people come out of anesthesia on a daily basis. When people are groggy, they still have their their Southern accents or their New York accents but gay people DO NOT speak that way when they are coming out of anesthesia. They sound normal. Gradually, the "gay accent" comes back as they fully wake up."
Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonata (Post 8593661)
So to answer your question, yes. For the most part, homosexuals do go out of their way to add unnatural flair to their voices.

Straight people are so weird.


I don't think there's any sizable number of gay men who would deliberately put on a more feminine voice. I guess there are guys who try really hard to use certain slang or w/e, but your voice is your voice and I don't think anyone really goes out of their way to try and sound more feminine.

Alexander Nicholi January 25th, 2015 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grey Wind (Post 8593695)
Straight people are so weird.


I don't think there's any sizable number of gay men who would deliberately put on a more feminine voice. I guess there are guys who try really hard to use certain slang or w/e, but your voice is your voice and I don't think anyone really goes out of their way to try and sound more feminine.

But I dooooo~


I’m sure everyone’s weird in one way or another. 90% of the population is no exception.

moon January 25th, 2015 3:10 PM

There's a gay accent? Where's the gay country? :D

I didn't know this was a thing even, never thought about it before.

dad January 25th, 2015 4:15 PM

i'm actually not too sure about this. if you're talking about the kind of drag at the end of a word, for lack of better words, i think it's a natural thing. i feel like some guys are born with their "gay tone" and as a child it's slowly washed out because they hear other males around them speak and want to sound like them. of course i've never been a gay male or a male for that matter so idk, just a theory.

story time! i actually have a friend who speaks with the "gay tone". when i'm with my gay friends i'm usually a little more touchy than i am with my straight guy friends (like arm holding and stuff). i feel like i can't with my straight friends bc i don't want to give anyone the wrong message. i started to get to know this guy and would be super touchy with this friend blah blah blah fast forward a few months. one day he told me he liked me and it completely threw me off. moral of the story don't be horrible like me and stereotype people who have the "gay tone". or better yet just don't stereotype at all

Treecko January 25th, 2015 10:56 PM

One time I was in theatre practice and everyone was their "gay impressions" and I attempted to do one and someone said "you don't need an impression, you already sound gay" and there was a large part of me that wanted to punch him in the face. If I could of not gotten in trouble, I would. And this is why we should get rid of the stereotype that all gay men have a high-pitched , feminine voice cause clearly that's not true. There's some really butch and buff gay men with deep burly voices who could beat you up for saying stuff like that. Some men are born with a feminine voice. Some of them are gay, but it's not everyone single one of them. My feminine voice doesn't make me gay it's fact that I find men sexually attractive.

Her January 26th, 2015 3:21 AM

To be honest I always have trouble figuring out whether someone is gay or just from California, lmao.

Um... I think it's natural in the sense that it's an inflection done by many gay people whether it's conscious or not, but not natural in the sense that all gays do it.

Rogue planet January 26th, 2015 7:38 PM

I think OP has been watching too much TV tbh

Entermaid January 26th, 2015 8:34 PM

I think there is some unfair judgment upon Alfieri's question.

1. The issue I have is that gay people tend to seek educating those who are ignorant, and when a question is asked respectfully, there is negative feedback for not already possessing a certain knowledge.

2. Further, this is an interesting question, I think even gay men are ignorant as to why perhaps themselves or someone who is gay that speaks differently talks the way they do. So we should all be open to discuss.

For me, if I tend to speak from the nose naturally, but for the sake of clarity I have learned to adapt and speak from the jaw, for resonance. I wonder if that is a thing. Also, I suggest you don't speak from the throat to sound masculine, or it will damage it and sound unnatural.

Alfieri January 27th, 2015 8:25 AM

To be honest I didn't even notice anyone having a problem with this question, but thanks to anyone who defended me I guess lmao.

Ruma January 27th, 2015 11:01 AM

My brother is gay and he doesn't really have a "gay voice". Nor does his boyfriend. And they're both into popular culture, and my brother is even interested in drag. That being said, I seriously think it's mostly either a learned thing, or it's your natural voice and it's just a coincidence. i.e., my old radio teacher had a stereotypically feminine type of voice, and everyone thought he was gay, but actually he had a wife and kids.
Idk. Either way, sometimes it just sounds super forced and kinda bothers me. To each their own though. I try not to judge people harshly.

Kanzler January 27th, 2015 10:20 PM

I have a friend who is by no means your stereotypical gay guy. Sometimes (which is rarely) his voice sounds more "gay" than usual. I think it's all just part of socialization with the people you hang out with. It's like how some women learn to speak with a vocal fry. Maybe it'll disappear a decade or two from now.

Alexander Nicholi January 27th, 2015 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kanzler (Post 8597093)
I have a friend who is by no means your stereotypical gay guy. Sometimes (which is rarely) his voice sounds more "gay" than usual. I think it's all just part of socialization with the people you hang out with. It's like how some women learn to speak with a vocal fry. Maybe it'll disappear a decade or two from now.

What is a vocal fry, if you don’t mind me asking?

Kanzler January 27th, 2015 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Senusret (Post 8597098)
What is a vocal fry, if you don’t mind me asking?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEqVgtLQ7qM

My girlfriend used to talk like that when she talks to people of authority, which I found to be increeeedibly annoying ugh. It's not a pretty sound.

ANARCHit3cht January 27th, 2015 10:32 PM

It really depends on the person. There is no actual "gay" voice, though we all know the sterotype you are referring to. I am a man who likes men(not gay), and I can't make that voice for the life of me. I also know straight people who have the exact voice in reference. I also know gay individuals who purposely alter their voice for added emphasis. I also know trans individuals who voices have changed something akin to this due to the hormone replacement therapy that they have undergone.

In the case of your voice naturally being like this, I don't think being gay is any sort of factor. You either have a voice like this naturally or you don't. If you happen to be gay and have a voice like this it's nothing more coincidence. Frankly, I don't see why a gay person would choose to have a voice like this--for many of them, they aren't open about their sexuality, so why would they willingly possess such an "indicator" so that people may poke fun of and ridicule them? I mean, if they'll call someone who is shown to be straight beyond a reasonable doubt(wife, kids, girlfriends etc) gay because of their voice and poke fun of them for that why would someone who is actually gay but not open bring that upon themselves?

Shining Raichu January 28th, 2015 4:07 AM

It's not an affectation. Nobody would put that on.

There are guys that come out in high school simply because they have no other option - they couldnt hide it if they wanted to.

morrison January 30th, 2015 5:45 AM

In BE they call it mincing.

anyway not all homssexuals do it. Interesting tidbit transgender mtf have to raise their pitch on purpose, whereas ftm transgender people can get a lower voice through testerone and androgen supplement.


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