So I wrote an article a while back called " 30 Things Every Queer Girl Wants You to Know," and I wanted to make sure that all of the male readers out there weren't left out. Though I can't personally relate because I'm a girl, I did my research to make sure that the following claims are as accurate as possible. Without further ado, here are thirty things that men in the LGBT+ community would like more people to be aware of.
1. Being attracted to other men doesn't make them any less masculine.
2. Not every queer man acts, talks, or dresses in a feminine manner.
3. Gay men aren’t sex-obsessed.
4. Not all gay men are interested in "hook-up culture." They can settle down, too.
5. Neither man in a same-sex relationship is "the woman” and that’s the whole point.
6. Gay men that play contact sports such as football and rugby aren’t just trying to cop a feel.
7. Not all queer men are "thin and delicate." Body type is not in any way related to sexuality.
8. AIDS, HIV, and other STDs are not “gay man diseases”
9. Please don’t ask two men in a relationship about “who tops and who bottoms."
10. Ladies, don’t use queer men solely as your stereotypical “gay best friends."
11. Not every queer man has a finely-tuned sense of fashion.
12. Gay men are not always flamboyant.
13. Not every gay man loves theater.
14. Don't jokingly ask a gay man how it's possible for two men to have sex.
15. Just because he's gay doesn't mean he's checking you out in the locker room at the gym.
16. Not every gay man has a high-pitched voice.
17. Not every gay man worships Madonna, Beyoncé, or Lady Gaga.
18. Bisexual and pansexual men won't cheat on their girlfriends or boyfriends to "switch it up" in the bedroom.
19. Effeminate gay men don't necessarily wish they were born female instead of male.
20. Don't assume that a more effeminate man is gay.
21. Gay men can like playing sports or doing other stereotypically "manly" activities.
22. Men can be romantic with each other without needing a female counterpart.
23. Just because a man is gay doesn't mean he can't recognize attractive women.
24. Likewise, you, as a straight man, can recognize when another man is attractive without being gay.
25. Don't say that a guy is "acting gay" or "isn't acting gay enough".
26. Two gay men can raise children just as effectively as a straight couple can.
27. Gay men don't appreciate being called "faggots", "fairies," "queens," "pansies," or any other derogatory terms.
28. Queer men aren't inherently good at singing or acting.
29. It takes a lot of guts to "come out of the closet." How's that for being "manly"?
30. Men of any sexuality- homosexuality, pansexuality, bisexuality, asexuality, or whatever else- are valid. Every single identity deserves to be respected and celebrated.
Regardless of gender or sexuality, love is love. Remember that, everyone.