Why Is "Bitchiness" Encouraged Among Gay Men? 

Outward
Expanding the LGBTQ Conversation
July 23 2014 12:28 PM

Ask a Homo: Bitchy Queens

bryan

Welcome back to Ask a Homo, a judgment-free zone where the gays of Outward answer questions about LGBTQ politics, culture, etiquette, language, and other queer conundrums. This week, we address a classic straight-on-gay misconception: Gay men are just so bitchy! While it's true that some queens are straight-up rancid, there's also a venerable tradition of artful insulting that's been an important part of gay sociality for decades. In this edition of AAH, J. Bryan Lowder reads the shady phenomenon for filth.  

If there are questions you’ve been dying to ask a member of the real rainbow coalition, this is your chance. Send your queries—for publication—to slateoutward@gmail.com, and please put “ASK A HOMO” in the subject line. Note that questions may be edited.

J. Bryan Lowder is a Slate assistant editor. He writes and edits for Outward, Slate’s LGBTQ section, and for the culture section.

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