Table 1.

Categories Generated by Questions

Response Category	n	%
How would you define a masculine/“butch” gay man?
Stereotypically masculine personality and physical traits	315	58
“Personality traits and mannerisms follow what society defines as manly: little emotion, lots of control, in charge, does well under pressure, strong.”
“Straight-acting” or passing for a heterosexual man	118	22
“A man who is not obviously gay. Someone that straight people would not immediately assume was gay.”
Stereotypically masculine activities/interests	31	6
“Interested in sports, cars, outdoors (i.e. streotypically masculine things), uninterested in fashion, theater (i.e stereotypically feminine things)”
Comfortable and secure with his sexuality and masculinity as a gay man	24	4
“A masculine gay man is comfortable being openly gay and is equally comfortable in traditional male roles, i.e. he can talk about his partner at work and dresses like a typical heterosexual man.”
Miscellaneous responses (e.g., “I don’t like these terms”)	48	9
No response	11	2
How would you define a feminine/“femme” gay man?
Stereotypically feminine personality and physical traits	399	73
“limp wrists, high voice, flamboyant dress, and a swishy walk”
Unable to hide sexual orientation or “pass” as heterosexual	71	13
“the kind of guy that couldn’t hide his sexuality even if he wanted to”
Stereotypically feminine activities/interests	37	7
“Interested in things like interior design/hair dressing/fashion”
Miscellaneous responses (e.g., “I would avoid making such a definition”)	33	6
No response	7	1
In what ways do you feel that gay men’s self-images are positively affected by the ideals of masculinity in U.S. culture?
There are no positive effects	134	24
It promotes physical fitness and athleticism	81	15
“Many gay men I know are athletic and in great shape which is congruent to the ideals of masculinity.”
Traditional ideals (e.g., independence, self-reliance, and confidence) have led to greater individual success	70	13
“builds confindence, others respect you, and can get ahead in career better”
It has expanded the ideals of masculinity	68	12
“The changing idea of what a ‘real man’ is in our culture has opened up the room a bit to allow a greater expression of masculine identity.”
It only positively affects masculine looking gay men	22	4
“the only positive in my life is that I don’t stand out as ‘queer’ in a crowd and it makes daily living much easier than if I were femme”
The media has broadened its representation of gay men	17	3
“By having a greater variety of gay men portrayed in the media.”
Miscellaneous responses (e.g., “see last response”)	68	12
No response	85	16
In what ways do you feel that gay men’s self-images are adversely affected by the ideals of masculinity in U.S. culture?
Gay men feel they must overcompensate, even if it’s not really who they are	90	16
“We try to overcompensate and adopt masculinity to a cartoonish degree.”
It affects self-esteem because being “truly” masculine is unattainable	71	13
“Gay men struggle to live up to the ‘unattainable’ masculine image which deeply affects gay men’s self-worth and self-esteem.”
By being gay, you are not “a real man”	57	10
“Our culture assume that if you’re gay, you’re not masculine…you’re less of a man simply because you don’t sleep with women."
The emphasis on physical attractiveness leads to a focus on being physically fit and body image concerns	47	9
“Everyone wants a perfect body in a sex partner or boyfriend. This causes low self esteem if people are not comfortable with their looks.”
It restricts ones expression of emotions	39	7
“It limits men to explore the full range of their emotions”
Fear of appearing feminine and an aversion towards effeminate gay men	37	7
“Many gay men discriminate against gay men they perceive to be feminine”
Media typically depict gay men as not masculine	30	5
“The portrayal of gay stereotypes in television and movies.”
Miscellaneous responses (e.g., “same as above” and “not sure”)	100	18
No response	76	14
In what ways do you feel that gay men’s relationships are positively affected by the ideals of masculinity in U.S. culture?
There are no positive effect	165	30
Traditional ideals (e.g., being loyal, providers, and buddies) benefit relationship	66	12
“The notion that men are supposed to be caretakers often leads to relationships in which two men support each other.”
“Masculine” partners challenge stereotypes and achieve greater acceptance	54	10
“Men who are thought of as masculine receive less consternation by society even though they may openly be a couple.”
It allows them to communicate with each other better and more honestly	18	4
“We can be forthright with one another and are free to be ourselves.”
It allows them to understand their need for autonomy and sexual adventurism	16	3
“More open to explore non-traditional sexual boundaries within relationship”
Miscellaneous responses (e.g., “see above”)	103	19
No response	125	23
In what ways do you feel that gay men’s relationships are adversely affected by the ideals of masculinity in U.S. culture?
It restricts open expression and communication	83	15
“It is difficult to express emotions, to show affection, to be caring in public.”
Expectations of assuming a specific role (e.g., top/bottom or husband/wife)	71	13
“The most plaguing question is ‘who assumes the role of the man and the role of the woman?’ as if to say that two men are incompatable."
Concerns over masculinity places stress on potential and existing relationships	57	10
“Most gay men seek out the butch type men for partners and minimize their chance for romance by excluding those that don’t fall into that category.”
It leads to discrimination and invalidates their relationships	45	8
“Inherent in gay relationships is a failure of masculinity. Both men are belittled—neither could possibly be masculine.”
Emphasis on physical attractiveness, sex, and promiscuity	41	7
“the concept that men are ‘hounds’ and expected to always want sex with anything that breathes, seems to make it OK for men to have open relationships, to avoid monogamy.”
There is no effect	23	4
Media typically ignores or belittles gay men’s relationships	15	3
“Media doesn’t seriously address gay relationships.”
Miscellaneous responses (e.g., “see above”)	93	17
No response	119	22

Note: Responses have not been corrected for grammatical errors. Total percentage for each question may exceed 100 due to rounding error.