However, by their very nature, these stereotypes pigeonhole what it means to be gay and lead to unrealistic expectations of how gay men are expected to behave. The project leader, Dr Daragh McDermott, argues: “On the face of it, stereotypes associated with gay men, such as being fashionable or witty, appear positive.
Apparently, gay men may have been left depressed by movies and TV shows that promote an assumption that we all must be well-dressed, emotionally available and whip-smart. Psychologists from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge have found that the positive portrayal of gay men on TV “can be damaging”. Until now, I hadn’t factored in that we may all be silently agonising over whether or not we compare favourably to Will Truman from TV relic Will & Grace – but according to new research, that is precisely what has been knocking our confidence. T hreats to gay men’s self-esteem come in many guises, from Grindr chats that end abruptly after sending a shirtless pic, to the 16% of Britons who think gay sex should be made illegal (thanks guys), to the five remaining countries that believe we should be put to death.
