Do you know how people are prone to stereotyping each other? Well, sometimes they do it to themselves. This is exactly what’s happened with the gay community in the U.S.; from circuit boys to bears to art fags, there are all kinds of gay sex tribes to get acquainted with. While this might sound like mysterious secret societies, they’re really just a reductive way of categorizing gay men. You might meet a gay jock at the gym, or come across a twink while viewing couple of cams online. The point is, you may not know about the categories, but you probably already know about the people themselves.
Think about the “gay stereotype” for a minute – it’s a guy who’s constantly flipping his wrist, calls everyone “honey”, and probably wears unusual hats a lot. Ask any gay guy if this stereotype is accurate, and they’ll tell you that you need to leave the house more often, honey. The thing is, stereotypes aren’t nearly as offensive if you make them up yourself; that’s exactly what gay men have done. Below you can learn more about the 8 most common gay sex tribes. You might discover that you know more about them than you thought!
1. Drag Queens
Starting off strong with perhaps the most well-known gay tribe, the term “drag queen” refers to gay men who are essentially court jesters for the gay community. Even though they aren’t a populous group, they more than makeup for it in volume – and in everything else. The wigs, the dresses, the makeup looks, and the nuclear levels of shade make drag queens unmistakable. You might think that they’d be the most controversial segment of the gay population, but they’re actually one of the most well-liked gay tribes out there.
2. Art Fags
The first thing to know about an art fag is that he’s way cooler than everyone else, and he knows it. After all, he did just spend three hours putting together an outfit in order to look like he got dressed in 30 seconds. He probably inhabits the art world (obviously); he could also be a fashion designer, a photographer, or a member of a band. You’re most likely to encounter art fags at model parties or gallery openings, but they also visit gay bars occasionally, just to see what will happen. They’re also known for being lanky, having lots of tattoos, and cultivating very idiosyncratic facial hair.
3. Show Queens
Unlike most of the gay tribes, show queens can take any form. From a bald theater critic to a spry dancer, show queens are basically theater kids who could never fit in anywhere else. They know the words to all the songs, and even if they’ve outgrown the high school music department, their lives still revolve around the performing arts somehow.
4. Gay-Listers
These guys will always make sure you know that they’re better than you, and so are their personal trainers. Their lives are good, and everyone else needs to know it. Their hair is always coiffed by celebrity stylists, their wardrobes are impeccable, and their apartments look like they belong in a magazine. In fact, their apartments may actually have been featured in a magazine at some point. They often work in marketing, the entertainment industry, PR, or advertising, which pays for not only their top-notch clothes and apartments, but also their summer vacations. Pro tip: if you hear a gay man use “summering” as a verb, he may be a gay-lister.
5. Circuit Boys
Here’s one that used to be huge in the 90s, but has since dwindled to an aging core population. They’re muscle-bound and fully waxed, with carefully preened hair and eyebrows. Tribal tattoos are another giveaway – they’re a big part of the circuit boy aesthetic. Toned pecs, bad tribal house music, and any drug that makes you want to dance are a part of every circuit boy’s life.
6. Gay Jocks
This gay tribe may be a bit harder to spot at first; a big source of pride for them is that they can pass as straight. That’s also the reason why they’re pretty obvious if you know what to look for, though. While they’re genuinely enthusiastic about sports, their proclivity for fantasy football, ball caps, T-shirts, and traditionally masculine haircuts is a little suspicious at times; it may all be a ruse. Gay jocks tend to be muscular and athletic, verging on gone-to-seed if they’re older.
7. Bears
The name is basically just a description of their physical appearance. Bears are big, hairy (including facial hair), and butch. Most of them belong to an older subset of the gay population, but the tribe is actually gaining popularity among younger groups as well. In fact, bears have a dedicated social calendar with events that promote and celebrate their love for flannel, beards, and beer bellies. Subcategories include Gorillas, Wolfs, Otters, and Cubs.
8. Twinks
Here’s another gay tribe that has already made its way into pop culture. They’re known for being slim and clean-shaven, often with medium-long hair and highlights. A twink is never older than 30 and comes closest of all the tribes to matching the “gay guy” stereotype. They’re still trying to get over a messy coming-out experience, and probably will be for a while. This has made them fairly ornery and wild, with loads of excess energy that’s very attractive to older men. They love the drama of all kinds, fashion, and partying; if a twink gets half a chance at a hookup, he’ll usually go for it.
These are just a few gay tribes – there are a ton more out there!
While stereotypes have a bad name, they can still have some usefulness. At the end of the day, most of these stereotypes are basically just widely accepted jokes. They aren’t meant to perfectly categorize each gay man; they’re just meant to characterize them to a limited extent. Even so, if you get to know members of one of these tribes, you may realize just how accurate the stereotypes are after all!