SLURP
I wouldn’t say that…
Funny that this’d come up tonight. My gaydar is completely crappy; usually someone has to flounce, mince, and profess an undying love for Judy Garland before I even begin to suspect that they’re gay. Which, given my sexual orientation, is a bummer.
But this evening, shopping at Albertson’s with my boyfriend, my gaydar started blaring. I swear, it went off even before I saw the guys in question; there was a group of them, not too obvious, but for some reason my gaydar figured I needed to know all about their sexual orientation.
It just goes to show you; everyone should wear nametags with their Kinsey scale rating in large bright red numerals. Flashing.
He may be adhering to the occasionally accurate rule that a man who looks directly into the eye of another guy he meets / sees for the first time is showing a sexual interest.
As a rule, str8 guys won’t look directly into an unknown guy’s eyes, he’ll look away after several seconds of discomfort. But, that rule, like most others, has way too many exceptions to be an accurate indicator.
My gaydar seems to be reasonably accurate, as far as I can tell. Unfortunately, it’s very slow. I usually need quite a bit of interaction with someone before I’m certain. It usually picks up on a combination of pronoun usage, the person’s interests, political inclinations, grooming habits, taste in clothing and jewelry, and the like. None of these by themselves is indicative, but certain combinations usually give gay men away.
Of course, the whole process goes a lot quicker when the person says something like, “Well, me and the partner were checking out this web page on the new laptop he got me for our anniversary…” 
JOhn.
Nice Best of Show reference there, JuanitaTech. But, alas, no. I don’t have animals as roommates. I’ve tried in the past, but it always led to heartache or an angry breakup. About the same as my relations with people.
Best in Show.
Side note, Christopher Lowell’s decorating books are now being prominantly displayed in most of the gay bookstores in the area. Ellen Degeneres did this before she came out as did Rosie O’Donnell. He may have said he wasn’t gay at one time but I am betting that he will recant it at some time in the near future.
I can tend to spot gay people about 90% of the time. The other 10% is just wishful thinking.
My gaydar is reasonable, my lesdar is highly tuned. I’ve spent 13 out of the last 19 years in the proximity of lesbians, living with them or being close friends with them ( or both ).
I’m fairly on the money from what I am told. But then, MY personal fave thing to do is hone my AsianDar.
I meet a person, especially a child, and figure out if they are Chinese, Korean, Japanese, VietNamesee, Thai. Ooooh… Love that. My percentages aren’t as good as the gaydar, but it always fascinates me. Both of my kids are Korean, but one has the classic Mongol round face, and one has the triangular classic southeast Asian VietNam/Thai/Cambodian face. So, I’m fascinated by that.
Cartooniverse
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Good lord, jkusters is posting.
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RUN! FOR GOD’S SAKE, SAVE YOURSELVES! RUN!!!
<ahem>
Thenkyew.
Esprix
My lesdar’s pretty weak too.
I’m pretty sure I beeped one last week but admittedly it took her cigar to set it off.
You choose you language very carefully, but eye contact is an important part of it. At least when it’s gay-to-gay gaydar. I just can’t picture a srt8 guy looking into another mans eyes for more than a nano second, if that.
And if Christopher Lowell is srt8, he’s living in the same closet Liberace was in.
But it’s not all about manerisms. And that too has become a cliche.
The masculine guy can be gay, and the "sensitive,"or “silly,” or(some other sterotype description) guy can be str8.
I must admit I find that statement bizarre. You’re not in business, are you?
I’m straight, and much of my communication with my male (and female) friends is by eye signal. But new acquaintance are always greeted eye-to-eye.
I really don’t understand what you’ve attempted to say.
Perhaps this is some miscommunication rampant in gay culture? Perhaps this to some degree explains how faulty gaydar seems to me?
Hmmmm… All of a sudden, I have a great idea for a new MAS*H character.
The holding-onto-the-glance thing is right on the money, I think. It probably amounts to nanoseconds’ difference, but that’s perceptable. It’s not that straight guys don’t make eye contact at all - it’s that gay guys hold on just slightly longer and, I suspect, with the eyelids just a little wider.
Ringo, meeting people is different as it is a common courtesy. The eye contact thing in the wild ™ happens significantly less with straight men in public. Also, spotting gay men and straight men on the street that way is also different. OxyMoron has it basically right. Gay men hold the gaze a bit longer and it may be accompanied by different body language though not necessarily.
Let’s see, is this IMHO? It is? Oh, good.
I think gaydar is absolutely the most ignorant concept that’s been come up with since little green men. There is no such thing but there are varying degrees of delusion, if you like. Meeting someone with “gaydar” is as enjoyable as meeting any other kook. Gaydar my ass!
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Your ass is saying yes, but your hand is saying no;)
[sub]OW OW OW! STOP HITTING ME WITH THOSE FLAMETHROWERS! I GIVE ALREADY![/sub]
Gaydar test
But it cannot be denied, jap, that some people are better at telling who is and who isn’t than others. You may call it what you will.
Esprix
Count me as another straight guy with pretty damn good gaydar.
Big hints …
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Men who hold eye contact for an unfomfortably long period of time.
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Two men together, both with the same height, same build, same style of clothing, same style of hair, and same mannerisms. They’re a bit more neatly attired than two straight men together; the body language also seems a bit different.
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Two or more women together, all stocky or dressed in a manner that conceals their figure, with short hair, little makeup, and a serious demeanor.
I have horrible gaydar when it comes to women who are alone; it’s very hard for me to tell. I know many women who have a stereotypical “lesbian look” – stocky, no makeup, a butch demeanor – who are very straight. In college, I dated one girl who over the period of a few months became more butch, after which she “discovered herself.”