How did the name “Bruce” get to be associated with the popular stereotypes of gay men?
I’ve known some Bruces in my time who were about as “macho” as any man needs to be; and of course there was the Scottish warrior Robert the Bruce, who, according to legend, watched a persistent spider, in a cave, fail six times at attaching a web to a surface until the seventh time, when it was successful. The Scotsman, according to the story, succeeded on his subsequent attempt to repel an enemy.
“Bruce” always reminds me of the University of Walamaloo.
“This is a wattle, the emblem of our land,
You can stick it in a bottle, you can hold it in your hand.”
“The paaa-dree will now start the proceedings with a prayer!”
I’ve never heard the name “Bruce” associated with homosexuality. The only fictional Bruce I can think of who’s possibly homosexual is Bruce Wayne. 
This is funny, because one of my dearest friends, a gay man, has the last name of “Bruce.”
I often call him “Mr. Bruce,” because I always call people by different things–I often say, “Dearest” instead of “Dear” and so forth. I also give people nicknames (like “Mike the Drunken Hippie,” “Willie the Brain Dead Surfer Punk” and so forth).
I never thought that “Bruce” was a “gay” name, since this guy has a last name of “Bruce” anyway. And he’s never acted offended.
I’m not sure how it became associated, but I just wanted to let dougie_monty know that he isn’t crazy, I’ve heard the name Bruce as a homosexual stereotype, too.
I’ve heard this association related to (though it may not have originated with) the band, Electric Light Orchestra, and specifically the 1978? hit “Don’t Bring Me Down (Bruce)” sung by a male lead to (apparently) another male. I recall thinking, in high school, why is this guy singing this song to another guy, named ‘Bruce’, but in an era with deliberately androgynous glam-rockers like David Bowie, and openly gay lead singers like Freddy Mercury of Queen, it didn’t seem particularly notable, since I’m not homophobic.
I’ve heard others allude to a homoerotic subtext in 1970’s ELO [I myself did not becoem a fan until 1980, paradoxically, when I was studying abroad, and when it comes to bands, I tend to follow the music, not the personalities, anyway] . In 1981 bought a set of ELO albums at a used record store in Cambridge with the word “Bruce” neatly written in the upper right hand corner of each album - Annotations in the liner notes let me to believe that the original owner was preoccupied with a percieved homoerotic subtext to the songs). I saw the ELO II (with some of the original ELO members) perform ca. 1999, and the crowd yelled “Bruce!” at many points in the concert
I’ve never been able to verify this link, and to be fair, I should note that some hear the word “Gross” in that lyric. (I don’t, and I wouldn’t find it consistent the the general quality of ELO’s lyrics.) I think the strongest evidence against it is the couplet “Whatever happened to the girl I used to know/ You left your mind out somewhere down the road”, but other groups of the era [e.g Freddy Mercury/Queen] were known to sing homoerotic anthems with one or two words ‘off’ to allow a pretense of ambiguity Alas, my copy of the liner notes for ‘Discovery’ is buried in a box in my basement
I’d be interested in hearing from those who are more familiar with ELO (I tend to follow the music, not the ‘personalities’) Now that you’ve asked the question, I’m very curious about this unsolved mystery from my past
Does it have anything to do with the Monty Python Bruce sketch where one of the rules is “no pooftahs”?
Anita Bryant, the orange juice queen and professional antigay activist, once said “If God had intended for people to be homosexual, he would have created Adam and Bruce.” That was probably about 1975-1980 if memory serves, but it often doesn’t so beware.
Here is an excellent thread on this subject from a while back:
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=195276
Gives different meaning to Robert the Bruce now, doesn’t it?
Well, since we’re talking about stereotypes here, I’ve heard that any variation of Alan (Allen, Al, that sorta thing) is a stereotypical gay name. Not true, as it is a stereotype, but surely Esprix will be around to comment on this one. 
I don’t know the origin, but I remember reading a reference to “Bruce” being a gay man’s name in Mad magazine back in the late 60s or early 70s. Didn’t they change Bruce Banner’s first name in the Bill Bixby Incredible Hulk series because the powers that be didn’t feel that Bruce was macho enough?
KP, I’ve always heard the name “Bruce” in the ELO song too, though I never thought it was a gay reference. I do remember my cousin and others in a small Nebraska town saying they thought ELO was singing “he’s a woman,” instead of Evil Woman though. As for Queen, I’ve always liked their music. I thought it was funny that Freddie Mercury denied being gay in the early-mid 70s. He looked almost stereotypical to me, especially after growing the moustach. And prancing onstage in pink, candy striped hot pants and ballet shoes didn’t help to hide the image any. But even though I suspected that Mercury was gay, it didn’t make me like their music any less.
I’ve known a couple of Bruces and I don’t think either of them were gay. Though they would get a little confused with names and wanted to call everyone Bruce to keep it clear.
Snac, I heard that about Anita Bryant too. She said, “Adam and Steve,” not “Adam and Bruce.”
:eek:
I’ve heard the “Bruce” joke before, but have no idea where it came from. My WAG? The sibilant “s” makes for a better flaming stereotype.
And Airman, you watch your ass…
Esprix
Wasn’t there a parody on a Gay Bruce doll somewhere? Maybe SNL? Like 30 years ago?
No, Anita Bryant’s bit was Adam and Bruce. I remember because it is usually Adam and Steve and this one wasn’t.
Just a nitpick (since I don’t know the origin either and the only IRL Bruce I’ve heard of is Bruce Willis and Bruce Jenner and winning a decathlon ranks right up there for manly-man type thingies), but the lyrics on the liner of the album have the lyric as groos (unsure of the spelling at this time, I’m at work), but it definitely starts with a ‘G’.
My WAG, “Bruce” is excessively macho sounding, like most of the other stereotyped “gay man names.” Wasn’t there a Simpsons bit about this…?
Homer: “The navy is a floating joke now and they ruined all the good names like Bruce, Lance, and Julius. Those were our toughest names and now… now they are…”
Jon: “Queer?”
The name Bruce makes me think of a burly gay man in a plaid shirt, partway unbuttoned with a chest pelt hanging out the top, and a Tom Selleck mustache
~Mixie