Gay skinhead
A Gay skinhead, often called a gayskin, is a gay person who identifies with the skinhead subculture(though not neccessarily) out of sexual interest. Some gay skinheads have a sexual fetish for skinhead clothing styles; others have a violence fetish. Some are simply attracted to skinheads' outward displays of masculinity. What they all have in common, though, is that they both adopt skinhead subcultural aspects and are sexually attracted to others who do the same.
There are also skinheads who happen to be gay, but who are not especially attracted to skinheads per se. These often prefer not to be referred to as "gayskins" because of the sexual connotations, and they may or may not associate with gayskins. Others are working class, who are skins out of working class pride. Although the simplest meaning of the phrase "gay skinhead" would apply to these skinheads, they are not the subject of this article.
Subculture
Gay skinheads as a group are a distinct and separate subculture of the skinhead subculture. It is distinct in that it has its own unique set of rules for social interaction, which combine elements of generic gay male interaction with skinhead modes of expression. For example, one gay skinhead might engage another in a fistfight or wrestling match to establish which will take the dominant role in a subsequent sexual encounter. The gay skinhead subculture is separate from that of other skinheads because such interactions would almost certainly not be tolerated by the latter, so gay skinheads usually practice their subculture in isolation — in private residences, gay bars, or predominantly gayskin events.
Relationship to other skinheads
Most gay skinheads are not affiliated with neo-Nazi or white power movements, simply because those movements usually condemn homosexuality in any form. There are, however, some who fetishize Nazism, Nazi uniforms, and/or other Nazi memorabilia, and there are also some who subscribe to racist, racialist and white power viewpoints. However, a gayskin can also be a red or anarcho-skin, a Traditional skinhead, Straight edge or even a scooterboy.
In general, gay skinheads are disliked — even hated — by other skinheads, who often feel that gayskins are misappropriating, desecrating or diluting their subculture. There is a common perception among some skinheads that gay men can not be truly masculine (some have argued that a gay man is a contradiction in terms, regarding "gay" as emasculating). Therefore, since exaggerated masculinity is a hallmark of skinheads' attitude, gay skinheads are seen as making a mockery of the skinhead subculture. Others might be less disparaging of gayskin masculinity, but simply don't want to witness gay intimacy, or don't want society to think homosexuality is a common feature of skinhead life. For this reason, gay skinheads tend not to mix with non-gay skinheads, or conceal their sexual interest when they do. A gay skinhead who incautiously makes a pass at a non-gay skinhead is taking a real risk.
However, many left wing skinheads do support gay rights.
Media recognition
Gay skinheads figure prominently in the work of gay artists such as Canadian painter Attila Richard Lukacs and filmmaker Bruce LaBruce.