# "Bruce" A gay name? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 28, 2011, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruce-a-gay-name/597933 "2011-09-28T22:24:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruce-a-gay-name/597933/1 "2011-09-28T22:24:06Z")
Waiting for my time to leave work, I got to thinking; Back in the sixties when I was in the Navy All us guys said anybody named “Bruce” was gay (queer). Civilian guys agreed. I wonder if anyone else shared this belief. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruce-a-gay-name/597933/2 "2011-09-28T22:27:16Z")
According to Homer Simpson, both Bruce and Lance are gay names. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruce-a-gay-name/597933/3 "2011-09-28T22:30:26Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > Waiting for my time to leave work, I got to thinking; > Back in the sixties when I was in the Navy All us guys said anybody named “Bruce” was gay (queer). Civilian guys agreed. > I wonder if anyone else shared this belief. > Peace, > mangeorge Apparently this rumor was quite something. I know a guy whose first name is Bruce and he is about 66 years old. When he moved to the SF Bay Area in the 70s he started going by his middle name because of the gay rumor. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruce-a-gay-name/597933/4 "2011-09-28T22:34:11Z")
Lou Ferrigno claimed CBS changed the name of The Hulk from the comic book Bruce Banner to David Banner for this very reason. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruce-a-gay-name/597933/5 "2011-09-28T23:06:10Z")
New Bruce, are you a pooftah? No. Right. Well gentlemen, I’d just like to remind you of the faculty rules. Rule #1 - No pooftahs! ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruce-a-gay-name/597933/6 "2011-09-28T23:20:47Z")
> [@sparky\_1](#): > > According to Homer Simpson, both Bruce and Lance are gay names. Knowing Homer, I’m sure he was alright with that. I thought Lance would be a scion. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruce-a-gay-name/597933/7 "2011-09-28T23:22:45Z")
Oh, yeah–and the kids in the '60s calling you Bruce would lisp it: “Oh, Bruuuuthe . . . _Bruuuuthie!_” Christ, I hate kids. ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruce-a-gay-name/597933/8 "2011-09-28T23:25:13Z")
> [@Bearflag70](#): > > Lou Ferrigno claimed CBS changed the name of The Hulk from the comic book Bruce Banner to David Banner for this very reason. From Kenneth Johnson, creator of the show, it was to get rid of Stan Lee’s (and comic books in general) obsession with alliterations. Johnson thought it sounded gimmicky and cheesy, and hurt suspension of disbelief. I think from that it branched into the meme about Bruce being a gay name (btw, werent those the Bruce Lee years?). ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruce-a-gay-name/597933/9 "2011-09-28T23:25:53Z")
I know 2 Bruces. One is openly, proudly gay, the other is happily married. So I guess I’m really no help at all… ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruce-a-gay-name/597933/10 "2011-09-28T23:26:33Z")
> [@sparky\_1](#): > > According to Homer Simpson, both Bruce and Lance are gay names. The third part of that quote is “Julian.” If Bruce Campbell is gay, then his manly roles all make up one hell of a beard, like NPH if he wasn’t tongue in cheek. ---
**Author:** ![Frazzled](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frazzled/32/3368_2.png) [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruce-a-gay-name/597933/11 "2011-09-28T23:27:32Z")
I tend to think of Bruce being a stereotypically gay male name. When I am shopping for paper towels and see “Brawny” I automatically think the guy on the package is named Bruce as well. ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruce-a-gay-name/597933/12 "2011-09-28T23:27:54Z")
> [@PapSett](#): > > I know 2 Bruces. One is openly, proudly gay, the other is happily married. So I guess I’m really no help at all… That doesnt mean anything. They could be married to one another. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruce-a-gay-name/597933/13 "2011-09-28T23:31:16Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > Oh, yeah–and the kids in the '60s calling you Bruce would lisp it: “Oh, Bruuuuthe . . . _Bruuuuthie!_” > > Christ, I hate kids. My good Navy friend, a total lady’s man, was named Bruce. We all called him Juicy Brucie. Much to his delight, I might add. He was one the most secure men I ever knew. He drew girls like a magnet, and we hung around him partly for the overflow. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruce-a-gay-name/597933/14 "2011-09-28T23:44:37Z")
The only person I’ve heard classify Bruce as a gay name was Homer Jay. Bruce hasn’t yet reached Lance or Julian status. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruce-a-gay-name/597933/15 "2011-09-28T23:45:44Z")
I never understood this meme. Is Bruce Springsteen gay? Bruce Willis? ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruce-a-gay-name/597933/16 "2011-09-28T23:47:50Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I never understood this meme. Is Bruce Springsteen gay? Bruce Willis? Yep. they’re secretly married. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruce-a-gay-name/597933/17 "2011-09-29T00:05:23Z")
Too bad we weren’t back in the 50s, when men were men and had manly names like Rock Hudson to chase the gay away. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruce-a-gay-name/597933/18 "2011-09-29T00:08:53Z")
> [@Bearflag70](#): > > Lou Ferrigno claimed CBS changed the name of The Hulk from the comic book Bruce Banner to David Banner for this very reason. When **Mad** did their spoof of the TV show _The Incredible Hulk_ they played on this. Woman: Mother, I’d like you to meet my friend David Banner. Mother: David? He looks more like a Bruce! Banner: I am, in the comic book version. But the TV people thought it didn’t sound _manly_ enough. …and in the backkground , on the TV the announcer is saying : “Jenner wins again! Bruce is the World’s Greatest Athlete!” ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruce-a-gay-name/597933/19 "2011-09-29T00:23:39Z")
I’ve only known one Bruce personally, and he is definitely not gay. Only a sample of one, I know, but still. I never understood the meme either. I grew up hearing Bruce Springsteen on the radio, and hearing about Bruce Jenner the athlete, so I never thought the name sounded gay. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruce-a-gay-name/597933/20 "2011-09-29T00:36:59Z")
Bruce has been considered a gay name for quite a while, I believe. There was a song in the 60s, _Big, Bad John_ about a miner who saved the lives of his fellow miners while losing his own in a cave-in. A parody followed called (I think) _Big, Bad Bruce_ about a hairdresser … [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruce-a-gay-name/597933.md?page=2)