As someone who is good friends with hoards of gay men, I know all the stereotypes that they posses - or so people think. I’ll admit, four are in the fashion industry, one is a photographer and one is a dancer, which seems to suggest a pattern in the career paths and interests of gay men but these are certainly not the rule. There is more to these men than the stereotypes they sometimes hide behind. 

Here are some of the stereotypes I come across firsthand with my gay friends.

1. Gay men are only friends with girls. This is not true. Yes, some do prefer to be friends with girls but I also know a lot who are closer to other, heterosexual men. 

2. Gay men don’t like sports. This is certainly not true. My best gay friend plays rugby religiously. One of my other gay, male friends is a dancer, which is a more stereotypical sport for a gay man. People sometimes think of him as unmasculine because his sport of choice is dancing and ballet, but what many people don’t know is that this kind of dance requires a lot more skill, stamina and strength than most other sports. It is actually one of the hardest sports to be good at for a man.

3. Gay men are divas. This is one of the stereotypes that annoys me the most. I do know some gay drama-queens (excuse the pun), but these are the exception, not the rule. I know a huge number more hetero drama-queens! Being gay is defined as someone who is sexually interested in someone of the same sex - sexual orientation should have nothing to do with personality, and it doesn’t! So these stereotypes shouldn’t be in place at all! How should who you’re interested in have any effect on how people see you or treat you? 

4. Gay men all love Lady Gaga. Okay, I’ll confess, I am guilty of occasionally (okay, regularly) asking my two gay best friends if they have heard the new Lady Gaga song, but that is because they are genuine fans. Of the countless gay men I know, two are fans of the Gags. TWO. And who can blame them? Not only is she supremely awesome, but she reaffirms the notion that being yourself is the most important thing in life and if people can’t accept that, then they’re not worth having in your life anyway. 

5. Gay men can’t be monogamous. Okay, this one is so widely believed and SO stupid, I can’t even fathom it. People have a distorted illusion that gay men can’t stay in a relationship. Personally, I know a thousand times more strait man-whores than gay ones. All the gay men I know would rather have a long- term relationship with a person they care about than a one-night stand. 

6. Gay men are only interested in looks. This is also a biggie. People believe that gay men would rather go out with a model with a beautiful body, a symmetrical face and a luscious head of hair than a a humble man with a beautiful heart. This isn’t true. Obviously, just like with strait individuals, there is variation in that some people are interested in looks and some aren’t. There is no stereotype here! Some are and some aren’t - just like strait men and women! My gay best friend, who is mentioned a lot in this article, is with a man who, let’s be frank, is nothing of a looker! He isn’t rich either, so this disproves the myth that gay men are superficial. 

7. Lastly, and most importantly, gay men should not be able to adopt children. Most people are anti-gay on religious terms, which quite frankly, I see as utterly hypocritical. Nothing would please God more than if two people, any two people, come together in union. When this love is able to be channeled into having a child, it is even more magical. People often argue that this is unfair on the child, but firstly, they shouldn’t be getting teased in the first place. It is only because of these ignorant, hypocrites that they should be punished for having two parents who love each other wholly, just because those parents happen to be of the same sex. It’s the 21st Century people! We’re all people, let’s start treating each other like it!