Is there a gay accent in English?

Shuimo   Sat Nov 14, 2009 12:40 am GMT
>>>Damian in Edinburgh Thu Nov 12, 2009 11:42 pm GMT
Shuimo: I deny nothing......what is, is in my opinion...and in any case I groaned when I saw your new thread title as I had just spent more time than I could afford about this same theme in the other thread you referred to, after which I said I wasn't going to discuss my sexuality in this Forum any further as it really is inappopriate and of no concern to anyone else anyway. <<

Then, oops, you did it again (or perhaps will do it again and again)! Your reply is always apprecaited by Shuimo, but only when it is about a social-linguistic matter in a vivid vein, not the groaning sort targeting a certain poster, as you did against me!

BTW: sexuality (whether it being yrs or others') of course can be discussed here as long as it is in relation to language! In fact, there are so many interesting issues to be explored about sexuality and language, which, unfortunately, have been either discouraged or even repressed due to the insufferable mean fellows waving pussy PC clubs everywhere, which I surely believe this forum is never in any shortage of!

>>There's no such thing as a gay accent....as with straight people gay people come in all types and in all ranges of accents and styles of speaking. The ludicrous gay male stereotype of limp wristed high falsetto speech littered with polari is not at all borne out in actual fact. Can you imagine a hunky 17 stone prop forward rugby player who also happens to be gay speaking and conducting himself in that sterotypical way? I know several, and they certainly do not! Neither do the several very masculine looking, and sounding, gay police officers here in Edinburgh I am personally acquainted with...and several more down in London and in other places. >>
Whether there being a gay accent or not, is yet for disputes! Don't make such hasty claims!
You cann't make such autocratic claims merely on scattered pieces of evidence of a few gay males you personally know!

People often say girly, pinky men's accent are typical accent of gays! What deserves investigation is why people have such conceptions or misconceptions! There must be sth behind this saying! Further investigation to testify this is sorely lacking!


>>They would be really quite offended - or, knowing them, more likely highly amused, to be very wrongly assumed to have something called a "gay accent". >>
But about other gay males you don't know?


>>Only a minority of gay men sound like the late and camp Kenneth Williams or Charles Hawtrey, or the very much alive and much impersonated Julian Clary, who happens to be the son of a London police officer. >>

Perhaps true!
Or such people might be few in number, but powerful in influence in shaping conceptions of the general public about gay community? Often quantity and quality are not in harmony!



>>I have a distinct Edinburgh Scottish accent, and for my general physical build my voice is quite deep really...you'd never guess that I was gay if you heard me exercise my vocal chords issuing forth my Edinburgh accent....but enough now, enough! <<

Hhaha, how can we believe you, DE? Would put yr voice video on the Internet so that we all can have the hornor to make a case analysis?(*^__^*)

>>Positively NO more from me on this theme or topic in this Forum ever again! <<<


I hope not! DE, don't give up so easily!

Sexuality and language are every bit a most worthy and interesting subject for discussions and researches in the field of languages!

You just need to overcome yr own complexity of certain sort to be able to do this!
I assure you I have no prejudice against gay men! I even have one or two friends who are like you, smart and talented, through whom I know a few interesting things about the gay community!

Just relax and feel easy about it!
Lo'   Sat Nov 14, 2009 12:45 am GMT
Shuimo, here's a small sample:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkkRbVZ-5RE

For a wider coverage, watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1q3rswA0p0
Shuimo   Sat Nov 14, 2009 12:49 am GMT
Lo' Sat Nov 14, 2009 12:45 am GMT
Shuimo, here's a small sample:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkkRbVZ-5RE

For a wider coverage, watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1q3rswA0p0
====================

Youtube is blocked in mainland China for obvious political resaons!
I cann't even access it through a proxy!
Would you provide links of a different website? Thanks!
Lo'   Sat Nov 14, 2009 2:03 am GMT
What some people refer to her as "the gay accent" is known as the gay lisp. You can learn it here:
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/235176/

People actually DO speak like that. A couple of years ago, a show called "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" aired in America, in which a group of trendy homosexuals would use their great fashion sense to help a straight guy look attractive in the eyes of women.

Here are two videos from that show:
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/235176/
http://www.spike.com/video/queer-eye-for/2675506

The blond guy, Carson Kressley, is particularly known for his flamboyancy. I know him. ;)
Uriel   Sat Nov 14, 2009 5:53 pm GMT
I assure you, Damian, that in the US, there really IS a "gay accent" -- actually more of a "gay intonation" -- and it is quite common among gay men. Not all of them have it, to be sure, but lots of them do. I imagine it serves a social purpose, such as identifying oneself as a member of a certain community and allowing others to identify you as well, and that is probably why it persists.

In that respect it is much like the Southern or black accent -- reviled by outsiders, but a proud badge of identity within its own society.
Jasper   Sat Nov 14, 2009 6:44 pm GMT
I have noticed that a lot of gay guys speak like women, but haven't noticed a specific accent.

Continuing on in this vein of thought, if gay guys have accents, do women, too?
Uriel   Sun Nov 15, 2009 2:12 am GMT
Not that I've heard. It seems to be strictly a guy thing. Lesbians just sound like other women.
Damian in Edinburgh   Sun Nov 15, 2009 1:25 pm GMT
Police in Manchester:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4lQBBEIlcg

Brian Paddick is one of the most well known gay men in the UK and here he is campaigning as the liberal Democrat candidate to be Mayor of London a couple of years back - the most prominent political post in Local Government anywhere in the UK - Mayor of one of the world's greatest cities.

He was, until his retirement from the Police Service to take up other assignments, including writing books, the second most prominent police officer in Britain - Deputy Commissioner of London's Metropolitan Police, second in command in what is by far the largest police force in this country in terms of officers, civilian support staff and the population it has to serve. It also includes a thriving Gay Police Association, and if you think that all the male gay police officers in London speak or conduct themselves in anything like the sterotypical high camp way Julian Clary does then you have to totally and resolutely have to reassess your thinking processes...it simply isn't the case....a "gay accent" just isn't on the agenda at all. Rest assured any gay police officer, or gay firefighter or gay rugby player or gay Grenadier Guardsman, or gay airman or gay frontline army infantryman would not last very long at all in their chosen professions if they all sounded andf acted like Julian Clary, whi is, after all, a performer in the world of entertainment and he is paid to, and expected to, speak and act in a stereotypical "gay accent" and in a "non straight acting" way. Julian just wouldn't be Julian if he spoke and acted in the accents of all those professions I mentioned who also happen to be gay.

Before he became Deputy Commissioner of Police in London, Brian Paddick was Borough Commander of Lambeth, one of the toughest areas of London with a huge immigrant population and high crime rates and social deprivation. He did a great job supervising law and order in Lambeth, and when he became Deputy Commissioner the vast majority of the law abiding citizens of the Borough of Lambeth, white, black, brown, yellow or whatever, were deeply sorry to see him leave for higher things.

I personally know a number of gay police officers, either here in Edinburgh or down in London and in some other areas - many are keen sportsmen, be it rugby (which I enjoy immensely), football, cricket or whatever.....a "gay accent" or a "camp" deportment by these blokes? Ha! As if...it's just what too many people choose to associate with all gay men.....either misguidedly or just out of sheer prejudice.

Judge for yourself if Brian has this so called "gay accent" or whetever you like to call it. Brian Paddick is a true Londoner born and bred.....and if you wish to describe his accent accurately then call it a London accent, which is just what it is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZZaJHT0JkM&feature=related

Enough now, enough.....I said before no more on this stuff - I'm getting pissed off with it, big time.

Let's "chat later" about Wales and the lovely Welsh people in a new thread instead...let's piss off the English and Anne Robinson in particular! - I haven't done that for some time now! ;-)
Edward Teach   Sun Nov 15, 2009 1:40 pm GMT
As much as it galls you Gaymian, there is such a thing as a gay accent.
If there wasnt one then why would we all think there was?
What would be the point?
Guest   Sun Nov 15, 2009 2:10 pm GMT
I wouldn't really call it a gay accent. It's just speaking with a high pitched effeminate voice. Some gay people do it to advertise that they're gay.
Guest 2   Sun Nov 15, 2009 2:28 pm GMT
Yes, I don't think it's an actual 'accent'.
Jasper   Sun Nov 15, 2009 3:34 pm GMT
I don't think it's an accent, either. An accent involves changing the pronunciation of words; this is not what's taking place.
Tristine   Sun Nov 15, 2009 5:27 pm GMT
It's called the gay LISP!!! Not accent!!! L-I-S-P!

Do you understand the difference?

Basically, you speak like a man from Madrid without saying anything in Spanish.

There you go!
Thinking Guest   Sun Nov 15, 2009 5:31 pm GMT
Hmm. If you have a Spanish lover, you may say something in Spanish..
Guest   Sun Nov 15, 2009 10:35 pm GMT
<Rest assured any gay police officer, or gay firefighter or gay rugby player or gay Grenadier Guardsman, or gay airman or gay frontline army infantryman would not last very long at all in their chosen professions if they all sounded andf acted like Julian Clary>

You seem to want to replace one camp stereotype with another (a kind of Village People of muscular firemen and full backs).