# Why is "Bruce" considered a "gay name?" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 25, 2005, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bruce-considered-a-gay-name/296169 "2005-03-25T06:40:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2005, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bruce-considered-a-gay-name/296169/21 "2005-03-25T22:01:36Z")
:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![misstee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@misstee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misstee)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2005, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bruce-considered-a-gay-name/296169/22 "2005-03-25T22:56:52Z")
> [@Bruce\_Daddy](#): > > :dubious: So what your saying is that you are not gay? How _you_ doin’? ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2005, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bruce-considered-a-gay-name/296169/23 "2005-03-26T03:34:40Z")
I’ve only known two guys in my lifetime with the name of Bruce (both of them coworkers at separate jobs). I know one of them was gay. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2005, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bruce-considered-a-gay-name/296169/24 "2005-03-26T17:13:39Z")
> [@misstee](#): > > How _you_ doin’? I’m doing very well, tyvm. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2005, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bruce-considered-a-gay-name/296169/25 "2005-03-26T18:30:30Z")
My dad is named Bruce! I take umbrage! :mad: (Actually, he’s just hip, smart, fashion-savvy, and cool enough to possibly be gay-worthy. 🆒) ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bruce-considered-a-gay-name/296169/26 "2005-03-27T00:54:12Z")
> [@dnooman](#): > > It’s easily lisped. Lisping is associated with homosexuality. That’s my best guess. I’ve heard the name Dennis in this context, too, though also certainly not nearly as often as in non-“gay” contexts. For example, there’s no implication of it in the “Dennis” scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. As for the change from Bruce to David Banner. It wouldn’t surprise me if that’s the truth. After all, they took away Mr. Clean’s earring for the same reason. Now that earrings on guys have crossed into the mainstream, to an extent, they can’t give Mr. Clean his earring back, because it would be too awkward to explain why it was taken away in the first place, and why now it’s somehow become OK. ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bruce-considered-a-gay-name/296169/27 "2005-03-27T21:40:11Z")
I always thought Mr. Clean looked _more_ manly with the earring. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bruce-considered-a-gay-name/296169/28 "2005-03-27T21:49:12Z")
As far as I can tell, [Mr. Clean has always had an earring](http://www.homemadesimple.com/mrclean_productions/timeline.shtml). He still does. ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bruce-considered-a-gay-name/296169/29 "2005-03-27T22:05:23Z")
> [@Walloon](#): > > As far as I can tell, [Mr. Clean has always had an earring](http://www.homemadesimple.com/mrclean_productions/timeline.shtml). He still does. :mad: You ruin _everything_! ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bruce-considered-a-gay-name/296169/30 "2005-03-28T00:54:12Z")
> [@Walloon](#): > > The idea of Bruce as a gay name is rather dated, from a time before we had Bruce Lee, Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Jenner, and Bruce Willis. Huh. I’d never thought about how many famous, straight Bruces there really are. Those guys are mostly yesterday’s news, though. The gay Bruce stereotype seems to have weathered the macho storm unscathed, and now has Bruce Vilanch to help prop it up. Obligatory Simpsons quote: > [@](#): > > Homer: They turned the Navy into a floating joke. They ruined all our best names like Bruce and Lance and Julian. Those were the toughest names we had! Now they’re just… > John: Queer? > Homer: Yeah, and that’s another thing! I resent you people using that word. That’s our word for making fun of you! We need it! ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bruce-considered-a-gay-name/296169/31 "2005-03-28T06:14:12Z")
Don’t bring me down, Bruuuuce! ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bruce-considered-a-gay-name/296169/32 "2005-03-28T12:08:02Z")
It might just be me but Bruce always meant Australian. Gay just didn’t enter in to it. Gidday Bruce. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bruce-considered-a-gay-name/296169/33 "2005-04-04T19:20:37Z")
Much like Ole and Lena are often used in Norwegian jokes, Percy and Brucie are the names I remember from gay jokes from the late 60s and early 70s. I always thought that Percy probably came from the Kovac’s character, Percy Dovetonsils, and that Brucie was used as it worked well with Percy. ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bruce-considered-a-gay-name/296169/34 "2005-04-05T02:52:40Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > Don’t bring me down, Bruuuuce! ELO? ---
**Author:** ![Keapon\_Laffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e274bd/32.png) [@Keapon\_Laffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keapon_Laffin)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bruce-considered-a-gay-name/296169/35 "2005-04-05T03:25:34Z")
See, I thought if any name would be picked, it would Gary… seeing as how most people pronounce it with the silent “r” and all that. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bruce-considered-a-gay-name/296169/36 "2005-04-05T03:48:02Z")
> [@DMC](#): > > I always thought that Percy probably came from the Kovac’s character, Percy Dovetonsils I believe Kovacs was drawing on the already existing gay-Bruce association. ---
**Author:** ![Cthultu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@Cthultu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cthultu)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bruce-considered-a-gay-name/296169/37 "2016-04-13T15:21:04Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > MAD Magazine took off on this with their parody of the Hulk TV show. David is asked why he isn’t named “Bruce” and he replies that the producers thought it wasn’t manly enough. Behind him, the TV is broadcasting the Olympics and the announcer is screaming: “He’s done it! Bruce has done it! Bruce Jenner is the world’s greatest athelete!!” > > Well done. Well, considering recent developments RE: Bruce (Caitlin) Jenner, this is pretty funny. I had a science teacher in middle school named Bruce, and knew another guy named Bruce, both of which were gay as well. Not that it really means anything. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bruce-considered-a-gay-name/296169/38 "2016-04-13T15:29:44Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > MAD Magazine took off on this with their parody of the Hulk TV show. David is asked why he isn’t named “Bruce” and he replies that the producers thought it wasn’t manly enough. Behind him, the TV is broadcasting the Olympics and the announcer is screaming: “He’s done it! Bruce has done it! Bruce Jenner is the world’s greatest athelete!!” > > Well done. Here’s the [scene](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lSk4AbYU4tY/SIzU4TNCNaI/AAAAAAAAAcM/AErlEVkH7WQ/s1600-h/MadHulk3+-.JPG). And David is wearing a dress, which is ironic considering how Bruce Jenner is now Caitlin. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bruce-considered-a-gay-name/296169/39 "2016-04-13T15:53:21Z")
I’m 57 and I haven’t heard the Bruce = gay association mentioned in over 40 years now since about Jr High. I thought that meme had died out in the 70’s. There’s a fair number of newly named Bruce’s still coming along so I don’t think that creaky old meme is all that powerful these days. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bruce-considered-a-gay-name/296169/40 "2016-04-13T16:17:44Z")
There is also this - which probably reflects the idea rather than originating it: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/GqLQUkb8kTc/hqdefault.jpg "John Wallowitch "Bruce" - 1990 MAC Awrads") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqLQUkb8kTc) It isn’t a particularly common given name in the UK and doesn’t have the same association as far as I know. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bruce-considered-a-gay-name/296169.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bruce-considered-a-gay-name/296169.md?page=3)