Jimmy Hill discusses why the phrase “straight acting” is problematic and shouldn’t be used.
The video was inspired by Channel 4’s reality show, First Dates. On the show, two men are shown on a date, where one of the men says he desires a boyfriend who is “straight acting”. This started quite the discussion on Channel 4’s Facebook page and prompted Jimmy to chime in with his own thoughts on the phrase.
Many individuals who view the phrase as okay often say it meaning it as a gay man who “likes football and drinks beer”. Jimmy says he feels some in the gay community still use this phrase if they’re not completely comfortable in their own sexuality, as this is how he used to feel.
He opens up about how he didn’t feel content in his sexuality when he was younger and how he used to wish other people in the gay community would just “act straight”, so they could fit in, like himself. However, he realises now that people don’t choose how they act and it’s just them being their unapologetic self.
Jimmy believes one reason this phrase shouldn’t be used is because it reinforces stereotypes that gay people only act a certain way, that gay people are only allowed to act in a camp or dramatic manner and if you don’t act this way then there is something disingenuous about you. He goes on to say it also reinforces the idea that being and acting like a heterosexual is considered normal and anything else is abnormal.
These stereotypes are all nonsense. Your sexuality does not define your personality and vice versa. You should just be allowed to act how you please and be yourself.
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