Apparently, Your Gaydar Doesn’t Really Work

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Sometimes, science just doesn’t know when to stop.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison say we may be negatively affecting the queer community when we use our gaydar.  Gaydar requires you to use social cues and stereotypes associated with gay men to determine a guy’s sexuality.

In an interview with New Now Next writer Dan Avery, researcher William Cox said, “most people think of stereotyping as inappropriate. But if you’re not calling it ’stereotyping’—if you’re camouflaging it as ’gaydar’ — it appears to be more socially and personally acceptable.”

Cox added an example,“Imagine that 100% of gay men wear pink shirts all the time, and 10% of straight men wear pink shirts all the time. Even though all gay men wear pink shirts, there would still be twice as many straight men wearing pink shirts.”

Now, we appreciate Cox’s effort to erase stereotypes. But’s be honest, sometimes they’re too accurate. We know we are guilty of relying on our stereotypes to identify gay and bi guys, and we think out gaydar is pretty accurate. What about you? Do you have a great gaydar?

H/T: New Now Next