# Is Raj gay? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 17, 2012, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-raj-gay/644307 "2012-12-17T15:00:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-raj-gay/644307/41 "2012-12-18T01:53:01Z")
[“Dance number aside, I’m so not gay.”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmKuAe5MgxM) ---
**Author:** ![Rala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@Rala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rala)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-raj-gay/644307/42 "2012-12-18T10:51:48Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > But, pretending that it is not, what evidence to we actually have that he is gay? He’s heavily into fashion. He likes to do parties. He’s really into looking good. Why are these gay characteristics? Yeah, in someone you don’t know at all, you might see that and start wondering. But we know a lot about this guy. Why are those superficial traits the ones that tell us of his sexuality, and not the women he’s slept with (when drunk, no less, so his inhibitions are down) or his shyness around women or his own stated preferences that he has, even when alone? You forgot to mention how much he likes dressing in drag (he called dressing up as Catwoman after losing a bet “empowering”, he has an Uhura costume and he tried to persuade the guys to let him be Wonderwoman when Penny balked). But yeah, that stuff is fairly superficial. It’s not the _only_ evidence, though. He has boatloads of subtext with Howard and, later, Stuart. The subtext practically became text in the scene where they were kissing with those gizmos. Howard: Did you just bite my lip? Raj: I nibbled. I was being playful. Howard: Why do you have to make everything weird? Raj: I’m sorry! They go back to kissing. Leonard’s mother thinks that Raj and Howard have latent homosexual feelings for each other, and while Beverly Hofstader is extremely tactless about that sort of thing, that doesn’t mean she’s not good at reading people. After all, her observations about Penny (“If you want to have intercourse with that girl, find out what kind of cologne her father wears”) proved to be spot on. Sheldon: So we slept together naked. It was only to keep our core temperatures from plummeting. Raj: For me, it was a bonding experience. Leonard: From now on, I’m going to be confident. Raj: How would that go? Leonard: Hi. I’m Leonard, and you are beautiful. You pop, sparkle and buzz electric. I’m gonna pick you up at eight, take you out on the town and show you a night you will never forget. Raj: [dreamy smile] Where are we going? Raj: It’s disappointing, like going to a gay bar and having no-one hit on you. [Howard and Leonard stare at him] Raj: …It happened to a friend of mine. When Leonard wanted to take Penny to Switzerland with him on Valentine’s day but she got sick, he ended up taking Raj. The room was set up for a romantic getaway, and Raj was delighted. Leonard: I should have remembered to cancel this. Raj: I’ll never forget it! A lot of people have cited the “I’m definitely not gay” line after his daydream about Bernadette. I’m going to do the same, but with a slightly different spin - if he was completely straight, why would he have been wondering if he was gay in the first place? Anyway, yeah, he says he’s not gay and I believe him. He’s clearly attracted to women, but I don’t think it’s too out there to read him as attracted to men as well. I voted that he’s bisexual. (Though admittedly, I’m bisexual and I really want more representation on TV, so that could be colouring my perceptions.) ---
**Author:** ![Double\_Foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@Double\_Foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Double_Foolscap)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-raj-gay/644307/43 "2012-12-18T15:04:24Z")
> [@Rala](#): > > You forgot to mention how much he likes dressing in drag (he called dressing up as Catwoman after losing a bet “empowering”, he has an Uhura costume and **he tried to persuade the guys to let him be Wonderwoman when Penny balked).** (Bolding mine) Well, when the alternative is Aquaman…😉 ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-raj-gay/644307/44 "2012-12-18T15:55:16Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > On second (or is it third) thoughts, an overtly straight, sympathetic main character (and an “ethic” one at that) “turning” gay is probably _far_ too radical for an American network sitcom, even in the second decade of the 21st century. Go watch the first season of Whitney. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-raj-gay/644307/45 "2012-12-18T16:04:09Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Go watch the first season of Whitney. Oh God, no. Don’t, please. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-raj-gay/644307/46 "2012-12-18T16:08:27Z")
Did you watch more than just the first few episodes? It actually became a quite interesting show midway through the season but regardless of quality, the reason I suggested it to njtt, is because they feature a main character who is overtly straight, sympathetic, and ethnic realizing he is gay. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-raj-gay/644307/47 "2012-12-18T16:42:28Z")
A gay guy wouldn’t have issues talking to women and if he was gay the jokes about his character wouldn’t work. So, no. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-raj-gay/644307/48 "2012-12-18T18:52:09Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > He’s not gay. That’s the joke. This. +1. Like. It’s like on last weeks episode when the guys are playing D&D and Raj keeps saying stuff and Stuart keeps saying, “Do you even listen to yourself?” and “Maybe you should listen to it in your head before you say it outloud.” The fact that he’s not gay is what makes it funny. If he was gay it wouldn’t be funny. ---
**Author:** ![Grapefruit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@Grapefruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grapefruit)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-raj-gay/644307/49 "2012-12-18T19:45:06Z")
The writers are trying to make a Tobias Funke out of him. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-raj-gay/644307/50 "2012-12-18T20:45:58Z")
Not gay, just waiting for a good storyline. In the mean time, they get to keep us guessing. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-raj-gay/644307/51 "2012-12-18T23:30:26Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Well it was hinted at by his webcam conversations with his parents or maybe with Priya, IIRC. Or, I should say, it was hinted at that his parents thought he might be gay. It was more than hinted at. Priya outright stated that their entire family thought Raj was gay. When he told his parents he had an importance announcement (he wanted them to arrange his marriage) they _immediately_ assumed he was “finally” coming out of the closet, and even after he clarifed his mother kept asking him if he’s sure he wanted “a _female_ wife”. They then set him up with a lesbian who was only interested in a lavender marriage to get her parents off her back. She also revealed that everyone back in New Dehli thought he was gay. It’s one thing if Raj just seems gay because he’s not entirely in tune with Western culture, but it’s another when people from his own culture are making the same exact assumptions. ---
**Author:** ![Apocalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Apocalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apocalypso)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-raj-gay/644307/52 "2012-12-19T01:00:47Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Raj is a transsexual who is not fully aware of it yet. He is also attracted to women. This makes him a future lesbian after his SRS. > > It also explains his speech problem around women. Internally he knows he’s a woman and is self-conscious about his masculine voice around people who naturally speak in a feminine way. > > So, gay, sort of. I came in to post something very similar to this. There have been hints that Raj is a secret transexual on the show. He had a costume of one of the female Star Trek characters in his closet and would wear it according to Priya. There have been a few other hints but I can’t remember what they were off the top of my head. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-raj-gay/644307/53 "2012-12-19T01:23:37Z")
> [@Apocalypso](#): > > I came in to post something very similar to this. There have been hints that Raj is a secret transexual on the show. He had a costume of one of the female Star Trek characters in his closet and would wear it according to Priya. There have been a few other hints but I can’t remember what they were off the top of my head. Transvestite, not transsexual. A man who enjoys wearing women’s clothes as a costume (Raj has not shown any interest in wearing a skirt for daily wear) does not necessarily identify as a person of female gender, nor does it indicate a sexual attraction to men. Besides, an unintentionally effeminate heterosexual is a much funnier character than an accepted gay character. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-raj-gay/644307/54 "2012-12-19T01:39:01Z")
I’ve played “Gay or British?” and “Gay or European?” Is this "Gay or Indian? Because I’m going with Indian. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-raj-gay/644307/55 "2012-12-19T02:38:13Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > …Besides, an unintentionally effeminate heterosexual is a much funnier character than an accepted gay character. On the other hand having Raj realize he’s gay or bisexual would allow for all sorts of new funny situtations and subplots instead of recycling the same jokes about him being mistaken for gay over & over again. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-raj-gay/644307/56 "2012-12-19T02:43:09Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > It’s like on last weeks episode when the guys are playing D&D and Raj keeps saying stuff and Stuart keeps saying, “Do you even listen to yourself?” and “Maybe you should listen to it in your head before you say it outloud.” The fact that he’s not gay is what makes it funny. If he was gay it wouldn’t be funny. Excellent reasoning. I’m convinced. ---
**Author:** ![FlightlessBird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/cdc98d/32.png) [@FlightlessBird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlightlessBird)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-raj-gay/644307/57 "2012-12-19T17:03:33Z")
Another pro-hetero line: > [@](#): > > Leonard: You realize he’s just rubbing our noses in the fact that he has a girlfriend, and we don’t. > Raj: You mean, you don’t. > Leonard: You have a girlfriend? How could you have a girlfriend? You can’t even speak to women. > Raj: Two words, deaf chick. It doesn’t matter if I can’t talk, because she can’t hear me. > Leonard: What? > Raj: That’s what she said. I voted Not Gay. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-raj-gay/644307/58 "2012-12-19T17:08:02Z")
> [@FlightlessBird](#): > > Another pro-hetero line: _“So you say you can’t pay the rent…”_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-raj-gay/644307.md?page=2)