# Is there a gay face? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 16, 2009, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-gay-face/503197 "2009-07-16T05:18:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-gay-face/503197/1 "2009-07-16T05:18:30Z")
In the show “Lie to Me” there was an episode where it was relevant that someone was gay, and they knew he was gay because of the structure of his facial musculature. Is there some truth to this? Is this part of the subtle cues in gaydar? ---
**Author:** ![Discipline](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/82dd89/32.png) [@Discipline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Discipline)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-gay-face/503197/2 "2009-07-16T06:15:57Z")
[Oh, totally.](http://pub.tv2.no/multimedia/na/archive/00193/drag_queen_kaka_p___193326c.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Anaglyph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Anaglyph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaglyph)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-gay-face/503197/3 "2009-07-16T06:26:39Z")
like [this one](http://www.hunterian.gla.ac.uk/collections/museum/cook/NewZealand/Artifacts_1/7.shtml)? ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-gay-face/503197/4 "2009-07-16T11:52:52Z")
Well, it’s recommended that babies not suck their thumbs (or use pacifiers) for too long, because it can (allegedly) cause facial structure problems. Sometimes when I see _some_ gay men, it looks obvious (to me) that they’re gay, because there’s something about their faces that looks like they’re deformed from sucking, uh, pacifiers a hell of a lot. Now obviously there are gay men that don’t look this way, there are straight men that look this way, and I’ve not yet seen a women with the facial characteristics that I’m thinking about, although presumably they would be so effected if it were true. All I’m saying is, some dudes simply _look like_ suckers. ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4bbf92/32.png) [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-gay-face/503197/5 "2009-07-16T15:02:22Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > All I’m saying is, some dudes simply _look like_ suckers. But they could be born that way. I heard there’s one born every minute. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-gay-face/503197/6 "2009-07-16T15:07:02Z")
> [@Anaglyph](#): > > like [this one](http://www.hunterian.gla.ac.uk/collections/museum/cook/NewZealand/Artifacts_1/7.shtml)? Wow. You’re brave. I wouldn’t be calling any 300-lb Maori gay! ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-gay-face/503197/7 "2009-07-16T15:44:50Z")
He are three good examples: [http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.rockymusic.org/img/priscilla/Priscilla-AliceSpringsShowL.png&imgrefurl=http://www.rockymusic.org/showimage/73894d0e7173dc4c7e0aa9947df21b31.php&h=421&w=710&sz=741&tbnid=ASdTEGfJVnlihM:&tbnh=83&tbnw=140&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpriscilla%2Bqueen%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bdesert%2Bphotos&hl=en&usg=\_\_pnI6KA4deTHkJz61NQd6Zynl4ro=&ei=k0pfSoCfDM6LtgfdzMTfAw&sa=X&oi=image\_result&resnum=4&ct=image](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.rockymusic.org/img/priscilla/Priscilla-AliceSpringsShowL.png&imgrefurl=http://www.rockymusic.org/showimage/73894d0e7173dc4c7e0aa9947df21b31.php&h=421&w=710&sz=741&tbnid=ASdTEGfJVnlihM:&tbnh=83&tbnw=140&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpriscilla%2Bqueen%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bdesert%2Bphotos&hl=en&usg=__pnI6KA4deTHkJz61NQd6Zynl4ro=&ei=k0pfSoCfDM6LtgfdzMTfAw&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=4&ct=image) ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-gay-face/503197/8 "2009-07-16T16:14:18Z")
It typically means a “pretty” young man with fine features. Masculine but bordering on effeminate with large eyes and sensuous mouth. Typical boy band and teen idol type faces. Human anime faces. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-gay-face/503197/9 "2009-07-16T16:22:43Z")
Really weird that you would ask this, as I was contemplating this very thing yesterday… it was triggered by an interview with [Pastor Ted Haggard](http://static.open.salon.com/files/ted_haggard_4001229571648.jpg). There was something about his face that I have seen in other homosexual’s faces, don’t know what it was exactly and it was by no means scientific, but it made me wonder. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-gay-face/503197/10 "2009-07-16T16:45:30Z")
[Maybe… maybe not](http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2008/1217081mugyear12.html) ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-gay-face/503197/11 "2009-07-16T17:14:55Z")
There might be: [Scientific American](http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=something-queer-about-that-face) [New York Magazine](http://nymag.com/news/features/33520/) ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-gay-face/503197/12 "2009-07-16T19:11:00Z")
Test yourself: [http://www2.b3ta.com/gayorstraight/](http://www2.b3ta.com/gayorstraight/) I scored less than 50%. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-gay-face/503197/13 "2009-07-16T23:40:37Z")
As a big homo, I feel confident in stating that I look at men’s lips when determining gayness. At a certain age, some gay men start to get “gay lips”. I can’t describe it, but it has to do with the coloring. So add one check to the “anecdote” column under “data”. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-gay-face/503197/14 "2009-07-17T02:07:30Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Test yourself: > > [Gay or Straight. A photo quiz from B3ta.](http://www2.b3ta.com/gayorstraight/) > > I scored less than 50%. I got exactly 50%… does that mean I have gaydar or not? I don’t really have a use for it if I do. ---
**Author:** ![ivn1188](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@ivn1188](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivn1188)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-gay-face/503197/15 "2009-07-17T02:08:45Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Test yourself: > > [Gay or Straight. A photo quiz from B3ta.](http://www2.b3ta.com/gayorstraight/) > > I scored less than 50%. I hate these kinds of tests. They always try to trick people. The race ones are especially bad… I saw one once where every single person was multi-racial. Anvilicious. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-gay-face/503197/16 "2009-07-17T02:32:38Z")
I have a lesbian friend who swears she can tell if a man is gay virtually 100% of the time. I showed her a family picture of my cousin and his 9 siblings. She picked him out without hesitation. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-gay-face/503197/17 "2009-07-17T03:36:20Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > He are three good examples: > > [http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.rockymusic.org/img/priscilla/Priscilla-AliceSpringsShowL.png&imgrefurl=http://www.rockymusic.org/showimage/73894d0e7173dc4c7e0aa9947df21b31.php&h=421&w=710&sz=741&tbnid=ASdTEGfJVnlihM:&tbnh=83&tbnw=140&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpriscilla%2Bqueen%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bdesert%2Bphotos&hl=en&usg=\_\_pnI6KA4deTHkJz61NQd6Zynl4ro=&ei=k0pfSoCfDM6LtgfdzMTfAw&sa=X&oi=image\_result&resnum=4&ct=image](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.rockymusic.org/img/priscilla/Priscilla-AliceSpringsShowL.png&imgrefurl=http://www.rockymusic.org/showimage/73894d0e7173dc4c7e0aa9947df21b31.php&h=421&w=710&sz=741&tbnid=ASdTEGfJVnlihM:&tbnh=83&tbnw=140&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpriscilla%2Bqueen%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bdesert%2Bphotos&hl=en&usg=__pnI6KA4deTHkJz61NQd6Zynl4ro=&ei=k0pfSoCfDM6LtgfdzMTfAw&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=4&ct=image) Be careful…you could be forced to kneel before the middle one… ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-gay-face/503197/18 "2009-07-17T23:56:53Z")
Heh, my hair whorls counter-clockwise I think. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2009, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-gay-face/503197/19 "2009-07-18T13:50:57Z")
> [@astro](#): > > [Maybe… maybe not](http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2008/1217081mugyear12.html) With a face like that, there’s no way he’s straight… but then again, my gay friend said he doesn’t believe this particular celeb is gay, simply because he doesn’t want him to be… ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2009, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-gay-face/503197/20 "2009-07-18T14:43:25Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Test yourself: > > [Gay or Straight. A photo quiz from B3ta.](http://www2.b3ta.com/gayorstraight/) > > I scored less than 50%. I scored exactly 50%. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-gay-face/503197.md?page=2)