Straight acting
Straight acting (English: straight "straight (out), hetero (sexual)"; acting "behavior, acting; acting" - analogous translation: " hetero behavior ") describes a manner of behavior of homosexuals that is associated with heterosexual role behavior in homosexual circles .
gay
Contrary to what the term suggests, it is not about gay men having sexual intercourse with women; behavior that would be heterosexual in the true sense of the word . In relation to the outside, one speaks of "heterolook" (from English to look = look or appearance ).
The name triggers controversy among gay men that is closely related to the acceptance of certain feminist theories or the queer theory . Regardless of the acceptance of the term, the behavior itself contributes to counteracting the cliché that gay men are “female”, but at the same time reinforces clichés about which behavior is “male” or “female”.
A part of the gay movement that is close to feminism and queer theory questions the gender roles traditionally assigned to men and women. They therefore place little value on men adapting to these roles. Deviations from these roles, e.g. B. by idle behavior, are thus interpreted emancipatory .
Another part of the gays defends itself instead against the prejudice that homosexual men would behave "effeminate" and use the term to differentiate a "masculine" gay behavior from a "dunky" gay behavior. Instead of seeing tunty behavior as emancipatory, the omission of feminine connotations or tunty - because stereotypically gay - behavior is seen as emancipatory. By deliberately differentiating from behavior with feminine connotations, so-called straight acting is intended to change the public perception of male homosexuality or to limit its perceptibility. A less political argument in favor of straight acting is the erotic stimulus that emanates from masculine behavior: many gays view “activity” as sexually unattractive.
The part of the gay movement that is more strongly influenced by feminist theory rejects straight acting, as well as the reduced perceptibility and adaptation to traditional gender roles, with the following argumentation:
- the concept of the ego is based on acting and therefore does not reflect a stable personality development
- Straight acting is a step towards the depoliticization of homosexuality
- Straight acting is often associated with discriminatory "hatred of tunes", i.e. a concept of " othering "
- Men who show hetero behavior did not fully understand the criticism of sexism and clichéd gender roles
- Straight acting confirms one-sided value judgments about ideas of masculinity and prevents the acceptance of deviating role behavior as "just as masculine"
Defenders of straight acting feel misrepresented by the prejudice attributed to gays. For them, it is not the “male” behavior, but the “dull” behavior that is a spectacle that also does not reflect a stable personality development. You see in such behavior an internalization of clichés by parts of the gay movement and pursue a policy that aims to ensure that homosexuality should not be perceived as "different".
On the feminist side, too, there are positions that are close to straight-acting argumentation: By merging male homosexuality and "idleness", the masculinity of heterosexual men is not called into question, since unconventional forms of masculinity per se are assigned to gays. Gender role non-conformity in heterosexual men (“ heterotunte ”) becomes something unthinkable. In addition, it is argued that a rejection of traditional gender roles does not have to go hand in hand with their radical reversal or parody (e.g. through “activity”). Rather, the aim should be to expand the traditional roles.
Lesbians
This debate also exists with lesbians . However, it is managed differently, as the lesbian culture is more strongly influenced by feminism and the willingness to criticize gender roles is therefore greater than that of men. Lesbian women who correspond to female clichés are referred to from their own ranks (sometimes derogatory) as "lipstick lesbians" ( lipstick lesbians ) . This term is also perceived by those affected by it as exclusion from other lesbians and as (group) compulsion to adopt a radical feminist attitude or to adapt to a clichéd image of the "boyish lesbian" (→ Butch and Femme ) .
See also
Web links
- Steffen Jan Seibel: Completely non-gay. out of line: The other way around is not better either. In: Zeit Magazin. February 4, 2015, accessed February 5, 2015 .