What means to ‘sound gay’ - The Washgton Post

Contents:

• 'THE VOICE' HAS OPENLY GAY SGERS: WHERE ARE THEY ON 'AMERIN IDOL'?
•  THE VOICE SEASON 21 BLD DNS ROUND THREE BUBBA GAY SGER ARIANA GRA JOHN LEGEND TEAM BLAKE
• WHAT MEANS TO ‘SOUND GAY’
• IS THERE A “GAY VOICE”?
• MY GAY VOICE AND YOURS
• NEW HBO DOCERI REVISS 1990S SERIAL KILLGS OF GAY MEN OM PHILLY AND N.Y.
• MY GAY VOICE
• WHO IS JOSEPH ZIEGLER, THE GAY IRS WHISTLEBLOWER HUNTER BIN PROBE?

'THE VOICE' HAS OPENLY GAY SGERS: WHERE ARE THEY ON 'AMERIN IDOL'?

THE VOICE -- "Bld Audns" Episo 2303 -- Pictured: (l-r) Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, Chance The Rapper, Niall Horan -- (Photo by: Evans Vtal Ward/NBC) NBC’s The Voice has only aired two episos, but already viewers have heard somethg that viewers have probably never heard on Fox’s Amerin Idol: “I’m gay. While there have been gay Idol nttants, most famoly Adam Lambert and Clay Aiken, they’ve eher publicly acknowledged their sexual orientatn after their rpective seasons nclud, or that aspect of their inty was ignored on the show self.

In fact, out of hundreds of nttants that have appeared on TV’s biggt seri over 10 years, openly gay portrayals are eher nonexistent (nobody ntacted for this story uld remember one), or at bt, extremely rare, let alone numbers like The Voice has picted s first two weeks. This isn’t to suggt Idol and/or Fox is secretly enforcg a closeted agenda — producers hired the openly gay Ellen DeGener as a judge and Fox airs Glee, perhaps the most gay-iendly drama on broadst. When craftg The Voice, executive producer Mark Burt said the choice to prent sgers’ sexual orientatn was discsed, and said he was surprised havg openly gay sgers wasn’t already faiar terrory on Idol.

“It didn’t cross my md to do anythg but be thentic, ” said Burt, whose first season of CBS’ Survivor was not only groundbreakg realy TV, but also featured an openly gay nttant, Richard Hatch, who won the petn. And sce there have been many gay sgers on the show, there’s clearly a choice beg ma at some pot the Idol procs by somebody to not clu that rmatn.

 THE VOICE SEASON 21 BLD DNS ROUND THREE BUBBA GAY SGER ARIANA GRA JOHN LEGEND TEAM BLAKE

” It uld simply be a difference of productn style: That producers on Idol, as Fox’s statement suggts, don’t thk sexual orientatn is relevant to a sgg petn and so they don’t really see a reason to go there wh nttants (“I don’t re if a sger is gay!

(Lambert, who like several Idol nttants was wily prumed gay durg the ntt, said after he me out, “I wanted the foc to be on my abily as a sger and as an entertaer — not on my private life. Ironilly, after prentg four openly gay nttants across two episos, the Gay and Lbian Alliance Agast Defamatn nounced The Voice bee ach Blake Shelton tweeted what some terpreted as a homophobic song lyric. ) Asked about this matter, GLAAD Print Jarrett Barrs told EW: “Wh more and more Amerins embracg openly gay sgers like Adam Lambert, Idol voters would clearly support a talented openly gay nttant if given the chance today.

WHAT MEANS TO ‘SOUND GAY’

If Amerin Idol expects to ntue leadg the ratgs, Idol producers should regnize that posive gay cln on televisn not only fosters acceptance but, as evinced by the populary of shows like The Voice and Glee, is a smart programmg move.

Here’s a clip of Tyler Robson, one of the openly gay The Voice nttants om last week: Episo Reps THE VOICE -- "Bld Audns" Episo 2303 -- Pictured: Niall Horan -- (Photo by: Evans Vtal Ward/NBC) S23 E3 Rep The Voice nttant lands on Niall Horan's team thanks to a Harry Styl song By Maggie Fremont The Voice -- “Live Fale, Part 2” Episo 2220B -- Pictured: (l-r) John Legend, Gwen Stefani, Caa Cabello, Blake Shelton -- (Photo by: Nile Wegart/NBC) S22 E25 Rep The Voice fale rep: A new wner is crowned By Maggie Fremont The Voice -- Live Fale, Part 1 Episo 2220A -- Pictured: Omar Jose Cardona -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC) S22 E24 Rep The Voice rep: The top five sg for the w By Maggie Fremont The Voice -- Live Semi-Fal Top 8 Elimatns Episo 2219B -- Pictured: John Legend -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC) S22 E23 Rep The Voice rep: Meet your season 22 falists By Maggie Fremont Blake Shelton, John Legend, Gwen Stefani, and Caa Cabello on 'The Voice' S22 E22 Rep The Voice rep: The Top 8 pair up for Whney Hoton duets the semifals By Maggie Fremont The Voice -- “Live Top 10 Elimatns” Episo 2218AB -- Pictured: (l-r) Omar Jose Cardona, Kim Cise, John Legend, Parija Bastola -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC) S22 E21 Rep The Voice rep: A Team Legend sger ws the Instant Save Round to make the Top 8 By Maggie Fremont The Voice -- “Live Top 10 Performanc” Episo 2218A -- Pictured: (l-r) John Legend, Gwen Stefani -- (Photo by: Casey Durk/NBC) S22 E20 Rep The Voice rep: Live top 10 performanc By Maggie Fremont The Voice -- “Live Top 13 Elimatns” Episo 2217B -- Pictured: (l-r) Bodie, Bryce Leatherwood, Rowan Grace, Brayn Lapen, Man Myl, Devix, Eric Who, Alyssa Wrado, Jt Aaron, Kique, Kim Cse, Omar Jose Cardona, Parija Bastola -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC) S22 E19 Rep The Voice rep: Live Top 13 elimatns By Maggie Fremont The Voice S22 E18 Rep The Voice rep: Watch the top 13 perform songs that 'changed their liv' By Maggie Fremont The Voice -- “Live Top 16 Performanc” Episo 2216B -- Pictured: (l-r) John Legend, Gwen Stefani -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC) S22 E17 Rep The Voice rep: The ach face a tough cisn to reach the top 13 By Maggie Fremont The Voice -- “Live Top 16 Performanc” Episo 2216A -- Pictured: Katie Kalvach -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC) S22 E16 Rep The Voice rep: The top 16 go live for the first time By Maggie Fremont THE VOICE -- "Knockout Rounds" Episo 2214 -- Pictured: John Legend -- (Photo by: Tyler Goln/NBC) S22 E14 Rep The Voice rep: John Legend and Caa Cabello battle for a top Team Blake artist By Maggie Fremont THE VOICE -- "The Knockouts Premiere" Episo 2213 -- Pictured: (l-r) Gwen Stefani, Caa Cabello, John Legend, Blake Shelton -- (Photo by: Tyler Goln/NBC) S22 E13 Rep The Voice rep: Wele to the season of 3-way knockouts By Maggie Fremont THE VOICE S22 E12 Rep The Voice rep: The Battl e to a close By Maggie Fremont THE VOICE -- "The Battl Part 2" Episo 2209 -- Pictured: John Legend -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC) S22 E10 Rep The Voice rep: John Legend has to e his 'save' tonight's battle By Maggie Fremont THE VOICE -- "Battle Rounds" Episo 2208 -- Pictured: (l-r) Caa Cabello, Blake Shelton -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC) S22 E9 Rep The Voice rep: Blake Shelton steals one of Gwen Stefani's would-be sav By Maggie Fremont THE VOICE -- "The Bld Audns, Part 7" Episo 2207 -- Pictured: Steven McMorran -- (Photo by: Ta Thorpe/NBC)THE VOICE -- "Bld Audns" Episo TBD -- Pictured: Man Myl -- (Photo by: Ta Thorpe/NBC) S22 E8 Rep The Voice rep: The Battl are on — and one ach don't hate to e their 'save' By Maggie Fremont Gwen Stefani, Caa Cabello, and Blake Shelton on 'The Voice' S22 E6 Rep The Voice rep: The ach get picky as the Blds beg to wd down By Maggie Fremont THE VOICE -- “The Bld Audns Season Premiere” Episo 2201 -- Pictured: Gwen Stefani -- (Photo by: Tyler Goln/NBC) S22 E5 Rep The Voice rep: Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani put their marriage to the tt as bld dns ntue By Maggie Fremont THE VOICE -- “The Bld Audns, Part 3” Episo 2203 -- Pictured: John Legend -- (Photo by: Tyler Goln/NBC) S22 E4 Rep The Voice rep: Did John Legend jt pick up a rger for the fals? "When I was younger I thought I was straight, bee I was more attracted to women, and I didn't know there were more optns bis Gay and Straight, " The Voice season 8 wner shared. "When I was younger I thought I was straight, bee I was more attracted to women, and I didn't know there were more optns bis Gay and Straight.

In his montage shown on the realy show, he revealed that he was gay which he was not aware for a long time until he fally addrsed his feelgs. Now pretty much everyone says I have a "gay voice" which I agree, I do thk I sound "gay" bee stereotypilly the pch of my voice sounds like the other gay people (<average). However I do feel like some straight men purposely make their voice eper jt to NOT sound "gay" even though naturally their pch wouldn't be as low.

IS THERE A “GAY VOICE”?

Obvly some straight people and gay people have ep voic, voic e high and lows, but how many of the ep voiced men actually would sound like that whout purposely "puttg some bass their voice"? After intifyg phoic characteristics that seem to make a man’s voice sound gay, their bt hunch is that some gay men may subnscly adopt certa female speech patterns. They want to know how men acquire this manner of speakg, and why – pecially when society so often stigmatiz those wh gay-soundg voic.

” It’s a fascatg and nuanced film, which the filmmaker, David Thorpe,  his feelgs about his voice to look at attus toward homosexualy. It rais a plited discsn about gay pri, lgerg homophobia, disguised misogyny, and the extent to which we all alter the image that we prent to the the film begs, Thorpe is disturbed bee he realiz he don’t like his voice any more. He rri out thoughtful nversatns wh his iends and proment gay and lbian figur – cludg Gee Takei, David Sedaris, Dan Savage, Margaret Cho and Don Lemon – about what means to “sound gay.

MY GAY VOICE AND YOURS

But so dog, v everyone to thk about what their own voice says about who they are, where they me om, and where they want to science of “the gay voice”To start wh, the stereotypil “gay voice” isn’t necsarily a study published 2003, Ron Smyth, a lguist at the Universy of Toronto, found that participants readily separated rerdgs of 25 diverse voic to those who “sound gay” and those who “sound straight. ” People picked up on featur of the gay stereotype – voic that were higher and more melod were more often labeled "gay.

In Smyth's study, people rrectly gused a man’s sexualy about 60 percent of the time, only a ltle better than another small study at the Universy of Hawaii, both gay and straight listeners were equally as likely to misclassify people as gay or straight. In fact, the straight men wh so-lled gay voic weren't aware that people thought they sound gay at turns out that what most people perceive as a stereotypil "gay voice" is jt a male voice that sounds more stereotypilly feme -- maly, higher pched and more melod.

NEW HBO DOCERI REVISS 1990S SERIAL KILLGS OF GAY MEN OM PHILLY AND N.Y.

And that often has more to do wh the voic that a person intified wh as they grew up, rather than and other rearchers say some men, both gay and straight, velop more feme voic bee they are fluenced by women when they are young. If you've ever found yourself talkg to someone wh a different accent and gradually emulatg them, you're faiar wh the gay men, adoptg what's lled "mp" -- a theatril gay accent, like an old-school starlet -- n be a way of embracg their inty. “As a hly mted gay man, I learned how mpg up uld be liberatg, ” Thorpe says the there may be more subtle ways that sexualy and our sense of self fluence our voic.

MY GAY VOICE

Benjam Munson, who studi language and speech at the Universy of Mnota, found one study that gay men did e a slightly different pronunciatn than straight men.

However, the difference wasn’t the stereotypil “gay voice, ” but a tenncy to e a more ntemporary, pan-Amerin accent, rather than the old-fashned Mnota accent (like  the movie “Fargo") says that the gay men he terviewed may have wanted to nvey an inty that is more stylish and cuttg edge. “As speakers of a language, we have lots of eedom how we pronounce sounds … People explo that variatn to create different social meangs, " he those who are proud n still feel stigma“Do I Sound Gay? ” shows that even men who are out and proud may still rry wh them some shame about havg a stereotypil “gay voice, ” even if those feelgs are Savage, a gay activist and thor, argu  the film that this is a natural nsequence of boys beg bullied for walkg and talkg a certa way when they are young.

WHO IS JOSEPH ZIEGLER, THE GAY IRS WHISTLEBLOWER HUNTER BIN PROBE?

“[B]ee we do still live a misogynist and sexist culture, people cricize men who are effemate, whether or not they are gay, " says Thorpse. "“This is really an issue of genr that then be an issue of sexual orientatn that then be an issue of homophobia, " Thorpe said.

He grew up the Bible Belt the 1980s, when homosexualy was often nsired evil and the e of a new plague lled AIDS, Thorpe says. As Thorpe pots out the film, there have long been public entertaers or artists wh stereotypilly “gay voic” – Liberace or Tman Capote, for example -- but few people openly talked about their when characters wh “gay” mannerisms or voic appeared popular culture, they were sometim d wh negative or sid the 1940s on, Amerin film saw the rise of a sni, supercil, and vaguely gay villa, startg wh the manipulative Clifton Webb the tective noir film “Lra. ” That tradn of the effete, aristocratic villa has lived example, film historian Richard Barrs argu  the film that many of the Disney villas have simperg voic or mannerisms that are subtly – or not so subtly – stereotypilly gay, cludg Prce John "Rob Hood, " Sr "The Ln Kg, " and many more, In an terview, Thorpe poted out what he viewed as one particularly egreg example – the bad guy the 2012 Disney animated film “Wreck-It Ralph.

” (This is a play on a “Nilla wafer” – a kd of okie -- and the word “nelly, ” a rogatory term for gay men, says Thorpe.