Using Hegemonic Masculinity to Explain Gay Male Attraction to Muscular and Athletic Men

Abstract

This article reviews relevant research on male homosexual attraction. Utilizing masculinity as its theoretical frame, the authors use childhood experiences with both fathers and peers, the gay community's inculcation of heteronormative ideologies, and the gay media's adherence to masculine prototypes, to provide causal explanations for the appeal of muscular, lean, and athletic physiques. While the authors acknowledge that not all individuals within the gay community look toward muscularity and athleticism as the primary components of attractiveness, it nonetheless remains important to examine the theoretical perspectives that may explain the appeal of this specific aesthetic.

“There are too many gay categories now”: Discursive constructions of gay masculinity.

“…Adams, Braun and McCreanor (2014), for example, found that beauty, which included having a good body, was valued in relationships between gay men, and Lanzieri and Hildebrandt (2011) also discussed the appeal of muscularity for some gay men in terms of their sexual attraction to other similarly built men.…”

The de-feminization of femininity : exploratory content analysis of gay male fashion magazines.

“…As Lanzieri & Hildebrandt (2011) have suggested, "men are consistently seeing more images of physically fit and toned males in different advertisement genres. Even today's action toys are depicted as more muscular than they were 25 years ago" (p. 285).…”

“…In body type, style, and dress, gay men counteract traits that would be considered feminine (Lanzieri & Hilderbrandt, 2011). Emphasis on increasing the size of the upper chest, and muscles reinforces this (Lanzieri & Hildebrandt, 2011). Male femininity is also symbolically constructed in the sense that being effeminate, a twink, or a bottom are seen as the embodiments of femininity (Schippers, 2007).…”

“…One reason could be that there is fear of being associated with femininity and being demasculinized (Lanzieri & Hildebrandt, 2011). Stigma is further compounded for those who sit between being masculine and feminine.…”

“…Lanzieri & Hildebrandt (2011) point out that upper chest and muscularity are important traits of masculinity while being small framed are often signs of femininity. Measurements of build were conducted on a five-part scale ranging from muscular, athletic/fit, average, lean/fit, and skinny.…”