# Do you check out members of the same gender? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 27, 2008, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-check-out-members-of-the-same-gender/478844 "2008-12-27T14:32:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-check-out-members-of-the-same-gender/478844/1 "2008-12-27T14:32:38Z")
Or members of your non-preferred gender, for those of you with alternative tastes. Bisexuals can go play in another thread. šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Licentious\_Ectomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@Licentious\_Ectomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Licentious_Ectomorph)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-check-out-members-of-the-same-gender/478844/2 "2008-12-27T15:59:16Z")
Gay man here, so of course I check out guys. But I can also appreciate an attractive female - aesthetically if not sexually. I have a straight male co-worker and we have fun pointing out attractive members of our preferred genders to each other. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-check-out-members-of-the-same-gender/478844/3 "2008-12-27T16:08:00Z")
I donā€™t. Iā€™m a firm believer that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Thereā€™s something visceral about it; I could not predict or explain why I find certain women attractive, it just happens. Without that, thereā€™s no point in checking out men. I donā€™t try to figure out which women other guys will find attractive, either. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-check-out-members-of-the-same-gender/478844/4 "2008-12-27T16:21:54Z")
I am a man and I do not. I can barely tell what men would be attractive to people that are into that. I just donā€™t have that innate ability. I learned to figure some of it out by brute force like comparing people to those in TV and magazines but there seem to many exceptions and I canā€™t tell quirky attractive at all when it comes to other men. OTOH, a moderately attractive women can walk past my furtherest field of peripheral vision while I am concentrating hard on something else and my head will snap for a quick glance (and maybe more) before I know what happened. It is an extremely big difference. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-check-out-members-of-the-same-gender/478844/5 "2008-12-27T16:28:02Z")
No. ---
**Author:** ![Karyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/fbc32d/32.png) [@Karyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karyn)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-check-out-members-of-the-same-gender/478844/6 "2008-12-27T16:32:51Z")
I check out other womenā€™s clothes to see what looks good on people with similar body types to mine and just in general because I like clothes. Thereā€™s nothing sexual about it but I do get shoe envy/lust on a regular basis. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-check-out-members-of-the-same-gender/478844/7 "2008-12-27T16:34:39Z")
I have checked women of all types out shamelessly. Men nah! Oh yeah if by ā€œchecked outā€ you mean had a second look at a man with a pretty girl and thought ā€œwhat she see in himā€. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-check-out-members-of-the-same-gender/478844/8 "2008-12-27T16:36:04Z")
I pretty much donā€™t. A man does not catch my eye in the same way a woman does. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-check-out-members-of-the-same-gender/478844/9 "2008-12-27T16:38:16Z")
I check women out sometimes, but Iā€™m not sure why I do. Itā€™s not sexual, because I have no interest in them that way at all. Maybe itā€™s partly a ā€œscoping out the competitionā€ thing, but Iā€™m not usually consciously assessing them for threat value. I just like to look at them, sometimes, I guess. I appreciate pretty and beautiful and sexy stuff, and sometimes thatā€™s a woman. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-check-out-members-of-the-same-gender/478844/10 "2008-12-27T16:42:04Z")
I spend a great deal of time at the gym working out and when I see an impressive male specimen of course I ogle him a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-check-out-members-of-the-same-gender/478844/11 "2008-12-27T16:46:01Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I am a man and I do not. I can barely tell what men would be attractive to people that are into that. I just donā€™t have that innate ability. I learned to figure some of it out by brute force like comparing people to those in TV and magazines but there seem to many exceptions and I canā€™t tell quirky attractive at all when it comes to other men. > > OTOH, a moderately attractive women can walk past my furtherest field of peripheral vision while I am concentrating hard on something else and my head will snap for a quick glance (and maybe more) before I know what happened. > > It is an extremely big difference. Regarding physical attractiveness, this is me as well. I really have difficulty picking up on what makes a guy attractive or not (outside of physical deformity or something), but my head whips around and I can lose my train of thought if a woman whoā€™s even mildly cute walks by. I do check out guysā€™ fashions/style, though: hair style; cut, fit, and color schemes of clothing and accessories; body language and posture. I objectively appraise their ā€œlookā€ without being able to tell if the man himself looks good or notā€¦ and itā€™s done so that I might get some ideas for my own style. Pity the pale, slight men with high hairlines who happen to have good personal style, theyā€™ll _think_ Iā€™m checking 'em out. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-check-out-members-of-the-same-gender/478844/12 "2008-12-27T17:04:06Z")
Iā€™m a straight male. I definitely notice good looking men, not that Iā€™m attracted to them sexually but " Wow, if I was that good looking Iā€™d have a lot better luck with women" sort of way. Yeah, envy in other words. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-check-out-members-of-the-same-gender/478844/13 "2008-12-27T17:12:11Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > Iā€™m a straight male. I definitely notice good looking men, not that Iā€™m attracted to them sexually but " Wow, if I was that good looking Iā€™d have a lot better luck with women" sort of way. > > Yeah, envy in other words. Oh, ditto. I see a guy whoā€™s clearly goodlooking and knows it, I envy him a bit. Lucky bastards, every advantage helps. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-check-out-members-of-the-same-gender/478844/14 "2008-12-27T17:22:47Z")
Gay guy - I look at women all the time, especially pretty ones. I can appreciate female beauty, even if it doesnā€™t attract me. I also look at things that make women women, usually breasts, cleavage, female-shaped hips and bums. Again not because I find them attractive, but because theyā€™re features I donā€™t see in my own gender. My thought process goes something like ā€œHey, look at that womanā€™s breasts. Breasts really are quite strange, and those look a decent size. I wonder what Iā€™d feel if I was straight and looking at thoseā€¦ā€ and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Stauderhorse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Stauderhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stauderhorse)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-check-out-members-of-the-same-gender/478844/15 "2008-12-27T17:44:25Z")
Yup, all the time. Iā€™ll definitely notice if a woman has a great ass/beautiful smile/nice hair, and Iā€™ll take a good look. Itā€™s just an aesthetic appreciation, and itā€™s definitely a different kind of reaction than if I saw a good-looking guy. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-check-out-members-of-the-same-gender/478844/16 "2008-12-27T18:15:30Z")
I check out women all the time. Especially those who just seem to be totally put together all the time. Some women have a knack for getting the right hair, makeup and clothes (and accessories) all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-check-out-members-of-the-same-gender/478844/17 "2008-12-27T18:37:36Z")
Nope. Iā€™m another guy who just canā€™t judge what makes a man attractive or not. And I donā€™t find men appealing to look at anyway; neutral to repellent is more like it. ---
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-check-out-members-of-the-same-gender/478844/18 "2008-12-27T19:42:57Z")
Yes! Women are beautiful, why wouldnā€™t I want to look at them? ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-check-out-members-of-the-same-gender/478844/19 "2008-12-27T19:49:16Z")
> [@Karyn](#): > > I check out other womenā€™s clothes to see what looks good on people with similar body types to mine and just in general because I like clothes. Thereā€™s nothing sexual about it but I do get shoe envy/lust on a regular basis. Yes, exactly. Also to scope out hair/makeup. I saw a cute hairstyle on our bartender last night and have decided Iā€™d like something like it. So my checking-out gets me out of fashion ruts on a regular basis. ---
**Author:** ![Karyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/fbc32d/32.png) [@Karyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karyn)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-check-out-members-of-the-same-gender/478844/20 "2008-12-27T20:21:53Z")
> [@Queen\_Bruin](#): > > So my checking-out gets me out of fashion ruts on a regular basis. My checking out was also to help me get a clear idea of what was age appropriate for work as I got older. I didnā€™t see any reason to jump into matronly clothing at 40 but I wanted to make sure that I was gradually dropping my skirt lengths and doing whatever else I was supposed to do in order to not end up looking like one of those cringe-worthy 50 year old women that dress like theyā€™re 20. It helped to see how other women my age dressed and get a gut reaction to it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-check-out-members-of-the-same-gender/478844.md?page=2)