# Questions about "Gay or British" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 30, 2010, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-gay-or-british/537826 "2010-04-30T03:56:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-gay-or-british/537826/61 "2010-05-02T08:55:28Z")
> [@Sizzles](#): > > The French call Homosexuality ‘the English vice’, probably in the hope of annoying the English. LOL especially since the French have stereotypically been the harbingers of wishywahsiness and sexual ambiguity… I think the true test is “European or gay” because Europeans in general have less hangups about male-male contact with regard to saunas and hand holding.. FWIW my own personal confusion stems from “good customer service or gay?” ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-gay-or-british/537826/62 "2010-05-02T09:44:46Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > While this may be true, it does not really address the OP’s question about gay or British. To support this saying, you really need to be finding examples of Brits who appear to be gay (to Americans) but are not. One example I can think of is Melvyn Hayes from _It Ain’t Half Hot Mum_. In that series he played a very camp part, but in reality he is (or was) married, and has five children. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-gay-or-british/537826/63 "2010-05-02T10:52:04Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > LOL especially since the French have stereotypically been the harbingers of wishywahsiness and sexual ambiguity… > > I think the true test is “European or gay” because Europeans in general have less hangups about male-male contact with regard to saunas and hand holding.. > > FWIW my own personal confusion stems from “good customer service or gay?” Hand holding? There isn’t a country in Europe where people observing two men holding hands aren’t going to conclude that they’re gay. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-gay-or-british/537826/64 "2010-05-02T12:25:35Z")
> [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](#): > > Hand holding? There isn’t a country in Europe where people observing two men holding hands aren’t going to conclude that they’re gay. I’m sure there must be parts of rural southern Italy, Greece, and perhaps Bosnia or Bulgaria where this still happens, plus maybe Cyprus or Corsica. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-gay-or-british/537826/65 "2010-05-02T14:35:45Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > LOL especially since the French have stereotypically been the harbingers of wishywahsiness and sexual ambiguity… > > I think the true test is “European or gay” because Europeans in general have less hangups about male-male contact with regard to saunas and hand holding.. > > FWIW my own personal confusion stems from “good customer service or gay?” I think the “gay or European” just comes from the fact that Yurpean guys are more likely to look metrosexual, which also causes confusion here in the states these days. Also, they’re more likely to learn British English, giving them a slightly fey accent, to American ears. Of course, once you travel and or live in Europe for awhile, you realize guys are guys, wherever they are. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-gay-or-british/537826/66 "2010-05-02T19:32:10Z")
One word: Tea. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Poster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Happy\_Poster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Poster)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-gay-or-british/537826/67 "2010-05-02T20:45:34Z")
As a Brit I cannot possibly take offence at the insinuation about my sexuality any more than Americans can take offence that they are commonly (and rightly) viewed as brash, insensitive, obese, uncultured, litigious, mentally ill, bible bashing, poorly dressed, easily-offended cretins. Very often these stereotypes are based in fact. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to my nearest public toilets. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-gay-or-british/537826/68 "2010-05-02T21:06:44Z")
> [@Angry Lurker](#): > > As a Brit I cannot possibly take offence at the insinuation about my sexuality any more than Americans can take offence that they are commonly (and rightly) viewed as brash, insensitive, obese, uncultured, litigious, mentally ill, bible bashing, poorly dressed, easily-offended cretins. Why, you…! Iffen mah pants wuzn’t fallin’ down I’d be hoppin’ on mah mobility scooter an’ goin’ fer ter git mah lawyer’n’ sue your faggy ass off right as soon as A’hm done lettin’ Pastor Robbins chase them crazy-demons outa mah skull! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Voluble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/4af34b/32.png) [@Voluble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voluble)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-gay-or-british/537826/69 "2010-05-02T23:13:49Z")
Actual conversation that occurred in my house between me and my seven year old daughter about the two gay guys on the current edition of the Amazing Race. Daughter: “Daddy, those two guys talk funny.” Me: “Yes, honey they do. I think one of them has a lisp.” Daughter: “Sometimes they act like little girls.” Me: “There’s a reason for that.” Daughter: “I know. I think they must be Englishmen!” So that is now the euphemism around the household. I am not sure of her reasoning but she came up with the connection independently of knowing anything about sexuality or about the existing meme. Maybe an English accent is just the most familiar accent to her but she has experienced Spanish and Chinese accents in person while an English accent is something she has only seen on television. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-gay-or-british/537826/70 "2010-05-02T23:37:28Z")
Many of the shows that imply that the british are effeminate also imply the same thing about europeans in general. Frankly, I think this is more a US problem than other countries’. For example men’s fashion in the US seems a little backward, frankly; it’s still in the era of trying hard to look macho (or maybe goth), whereas in many countries men feel more like they can express themselves more. I’m not having a go at americans: I think your teeth are generally better, for example: clearly there are some benefits to your healthcare system (though I don’t think the brits have worse teeth than other europeans). [quote=] Niles Crane on Frasier is a good example [/quote] Neither the character nor the actor are british 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-gay-or-british/537826/71 "2010-05-03T03:58:24Z")
> [@Sizzles](#): > > The French call Homosexuality ‘the English vice’, probably in the hope of annoying the English. Didn’t the English call VD “the French disease”? > [@Angry Lurker](#): > > As a Brit … Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to my nearest public toilets. You’re George Michael?? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-gay-or-british/537826/72 "2010-05-03T04:37:00Z")
> [@Voluble](#): > > Actual conversation that occurred in my house between me and my seven year old daughter about the two gay guys on the current edition of the Amazing Race. The brothers? Only one of them is gay. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-gay-or-british/537826/73 "2010-05-03T19:40:15Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Iffen mah pants wuzn’t fallin’ down I’d be hoppin’ on mah mobility scooter an’ goin’ fer ter git mah lawyer’n’ sue your faggy ass off right as soon as A’hm done lettin’ Pastor Robbins chase them crazy-demons outa mah skull! :mad: If I were the signature-having type on this board, I would so steal this for one. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-gay-or-british/537826/74 "2010-05-03T19:51:46Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > If I were the signature-having type on this board, I would so steal this for one. Should you feel so inclined, steal away. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-gay-or-british/537826/75 "2010-05-04T12:47:20Z")
In French movies Brits are always portrayed as effiminate cissy boys. But then again the French may well be compensating for something. I blame the actor Eric Morley for at least some perceptions of us all being gay as he always came across to me as being incredibly camp whatever role he played. I don’t know if he was gay in real life though. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-gay-or-british/537826/76 "2010-05-04T12:59:39Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > I’ve had countless instructors who were native speakers of Spanish from Puerto Rico to Spain and countless who were American-born non-native speakers, and nobody to my ear had ever sounded like that before. Once he spoke English, his Spanish accent made perfect sense, because he speaks English exactly like he speaks Spanish. I have to assume it’s because of his British accent. I’m not saying your fellow there didn’t have a lisp, but Castilian Spanish comes with a [built-in lisp](http://spanish.about.com/cs/qa/a/q_lisp.htm). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-gay-or-british/537826.md?page=3)