For me…YES! I’ve always sounded gay. I would go through the drive through at McDonald’s and the person on the other end would ask “Is that all, ma’am?” Or I would answer the phone at home, and the person on the line would think I was my mother. It used to piss me off. I knew I was gay, but I didn’t want anyone else to know. Especially in rural Arkansas! The easiest way for people to clock that I was gay was my voice. I knew that there were straight men who may have sounded a little feminine, and I knew there were gay men who didn’t “sound” gay. I wanted to be one of those gays who didn’t sound gay. I guess I wasn’t alone. David Thorpe also always wondered why he sounded gay.
Nigel and I saw David’s film Do I Sound Gay? as part of Outfest last night. It explores the “gay accent,” and in it he interviews many gay celebrities like David Sedaris, Margaret Cho, Dan Savage, Tim Gunn, George Takei, and more for their take on sounding gay. Is it nature? Is it nurture? It may have a lot to do with who you admire and identify with growing up. Maybe you grew up with 4 rambunctious brothers or maybe it was 3 girly-girl sisters? Or maybe you’re just born that way? For me, I still cringe sometimes when I hear my voice, but it’s mine I wouldn’t trade it. Well, maybe I’d trade it for Meg Tilly’s voice. It’s cute. Click here to find out where you can see Do I Sound Gay?
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