# Does your race or sexuality define your culture? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 5, 2001, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-race-or-sexuality-define-your-culture/79862 "2001-09-05T14:56:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-race-or-sexuality-define-your-culture/79862/61 "2001-09-10T00:29:18Z")
I’ll have to agree with **Hastur** , there, **gobear**. You make it sound like all non-masculine gay men attended Harvard in the 1920’s or something… Esprix ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-race-or-sexuality-define-your-culture/79862/62 "2001-09-10T16:07:46Z")
> [@](#): > > I look very masculine. I love a good chardonnay, and I think brie is quite excellent. > > For an editor, a gay man, and someone who is obviously exposed to culture, you seem to rail hard against stereotypes as you also help reinforce them. You don’t need to be gay to be an effete wuss. Hang around the literary scene long enough and you will meet them–people wearing name designer shirts; who say, “I never watch TV;” who speak in affected pseudo-British accents. You may not come across them in Oregon, **Hastur** , or in San Diego, **Esprix** , but they are legion in NYC and here in DC. Fresh Fields grocery and Politika bookstore are their lairs. There is a big difference betwen drinking wine for enjoyment and boasting of drinking wine to project an image. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-race-or-sexuality-define-your-culture/79862/63 "2001-09-10T16:10:31Z")
“Oh, my dear, you drink beer? How very plebeian of you.” ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-race-or-sexuality-define-your-culture/79862/64 "2001-09-10T18:40:56Z")
I’m not saying they don’t exist, but the fact that you made mention of you being “a regular guy” and them being “wussies” is kind of telling. Straight or gay, they are simply different _kinds_ of guys (true or facades notwithstanding). Speaking for wussies everywhere, that is. Esprix ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-race-or-sexuality-define-your-culture/79862/65 "2001-09-10T18:57:10Z")
viennamac: First you must cross my palm with silver, and only then will I gaze into my Crystal Ball. (Actually, enough is enough) Esprix, Gobear, and Hastur: If I may jump in (and even if I mayen’t) I think the distinction between “real men,” and “Wussies” is not their personal tastes or styles, but rather their affectations. Drinking wine, or eating brie because you like them is the act of a real man. Affecting a taste for wine and brie so you can be a snob and look down upon others is the act of a wussy. That being said, I state with confidence that in my opinion, regardless of your personal tastes, you are all real men. ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-race-or-sexuality-define-your-culture/79862/66 "2001-09-10T21:13:26Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by **Scylla** _ > > Drinking wine, or eating brie because you like them is the act of a real man. > > Affecting a taste for wine and brie so you can be a snob and look down upon others is the act of a wussy. Agreed, but that scenario wasn’t the impression I got from **gobear** ’s initial post; I got “I’m a man, and brie-eating wine lovers aren’t.” No stipulation of affected snobbery was evident. Esprix ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-race-or-sexuality-define-your-culture/79862/67 "2001-09-10T21:17:53Z")
> [@](#): > > No stipulation of affected snobbery was evident. I might respectfully suggest that when referring to the world of the urban literati, no such stipulation is recquired. ::shrug:: But I don’t really know. I’ll just take gobear’s word and leave it at that. ---
**Author:** ![viennamac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@viennamac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/viennamac)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-race-or-sexuality-define-your-culture/79862/68 "2001-09-10T21:38:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scylla \* > \*\*viennamac: > First you must cross my palm with silver, and only then will I gaze into my Crystal Ball. > (Actually, enough is enough) > \*\* Hmm. No silver, but I’ll have a few Euros soon, if you can wait a while! I understand. But I have to admit I’m disappointed - hey, I’d even let you say I enjoy brie! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-race-or-sexuality-define-your-culture/79862/69 "2001-09-10T23:14:47Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by **Scylla** _ > > I might respectfully suggest that when referring to the world of the urban literati, no such stipulation is recquired. Respectfully, I think we both read something different into what he said. You saw urban literati, I saw “guys vs. wussies.” I, too, however, am willing to accept **gobear** ’s clarification; I’m speaking only of the initial read. Esprix [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-race-or-sexuality-define-your-culture/79862.md?page=3)