Nature vs Nurture: The "gay lisp"

This is a dumb question. A lisp is a speech impediment like stuttering. It often has a physiological cause, such as a deformity or a dental issue, like an overbite. It has NOTHING to do with a person's sexual orientation, as both straight and gay people can have a lisp. It is possible some gay people may joke around with lisping because of the stereotype, which probably developed from the intentional lisp affected in the past by certain upper-class British men to appear sophisticated and refined (since lisping was associated with the nobility). Such men were often considered "dandies," and the association of lisping was eventually extended to gay men.

It's a term for the the stereotypical way gay men speak. I understand why you would assume, but do your research before slamming an honest question.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

Take it from someone who was born this way, the "lisp" existed before I knew it was a gay thing. and its something i have to try to not have, im not ashamed of being gay but i hate the weird sound of it.

It must be nurture, otherwise all gay men would have the "lisp". As that is not the case and only some have it then they must have responded from their upbringing/conformed to a stereotype that has been popularised through tv etc.

I think they are born with it but not all of them!! just like not all of them act girly. same thing!!

i myself am gay and i wasn't born with the "lisp", admittedly i do speak with the "lisp" now but that is through my own personal choice, i don't think we gay men are born with the "lisp" i think that we just aquire it or use it by choice, i haven't met anyone who has been forced to talk with the "lisp", some people find that it comes naturally to them, i knew i was gay from a very young age so i adapted and my voice changed, the way i dress etc.. you just adapt to what's around you

i am gay i do not have a "lisp". i pride myself on my enunciation of the king's english.

im not sure which one to pick.

Straight guys have the "lisp". So talking like that has nothing to do with being gay.

i dont know

what is this

i dont know but i guess

Uh no. I only know one guy who actually lisps like that and he ain't gay. Neither me nor any of my gay mates lisp. (Some of them are pretty camp though).

HI love ya!

I definitely don't think that most are born with it. I actually know a couple of people who developed it after they came out. I think it's a cultural thing like you said.

good question!

They are born with their sexuality, but the lisp that only a portion of the gay population has is acquired later. People talk differently. Part of it is what you hear and part of it is personality.

This is the one aspect of gayness I don't understand. So you like guys....why talk like a girl then?

Some people probably develop the lisp because of growing up with a lot of feminine influence. You can definatley tell who the gay guys are that are purposely emphasizing the lisp to be noticed. I think it's obnoxious especially when you can tell it's fake.

Yeah, I know guys that fake it miserably for attention, but a friend of mine I think just developed it because he spends a lot of time around girls and he probably just picked it up from hearing them all the time.

do girls lisp?

Not really, but I the lisp is generally accompanied by higher pitch.

true

A friend of mine is gay and he only seems to acquire the "gay lisp" when he's around other gay men. Maybe it's more nurture then nature???

Thats an excellent question! I want to ask my psych teacher that now.

To thought it was stress related. who would choose to have a lisp-that's ludacris

LOL, Born with a Gay Lisp. Now that's funny.

Not all Homosexuals talk with a lisp. If they do, than they choose too.

I have gay friends and none have lisps..I am confused !!!!???

I'm pretty sure it's more of a nurture thing because not all gay men have a lisp. I think it's more of a cultural thing. That's like blaming genetics for black people using ebonics or white people talking with flat accents. It might seem common, but it's a stereotype because we all know that not everyone from a given group has the same accent. DNA only goes so far on its own.

It is a choice to be gay. A choice to have a lisp.

I think both are incorrect. Neither are choices. The choice is to deny yourself or not. forcibly train yourself to speak without a lisp or not.

do you choose to be hetrosexual because i don't remember ever being asked if i wanted to make that choice. no abuse, no neglect, no sneaky uncle in my past but i've known since i was nine which way i like my bread buttered.

Quit using butter you meal masher!!!

My son doesn't have a lisp. He tells me they are what is called the flamboyant gays or flamers. Not all gays have it.

I know plenty that don't have it, and I know people who before they came out didn't have a lisp.

It’s hard to believe that I still get surprised at my age…but I do. For crying out loud….people are just people! Well, I guess there is the fringe that acts a little (or allot) “over the top”….but in all of my years I’ve known so many people that have “come out”! They’re just people! They aren’t too this or too that! Most of them you probably wouldn’t, or (probably more unnerving to some) don’t, know that anything is different.
Not all guys lisp and cook! Not all women are...whatever the “butch”stereotype thing is this week! I can’t believe that we’re still accepting the silly stereotypes!
People are just people! Some male football players and some beautiful female models are gay. Some are good, some are bad! And yes…God does Love us all! That’s why he sent his son! The gay thing….oh really...just get over it already!

woo go michael its your birthday lalala

So true. I believe it to be time we discuss these issues openly, and the default opinion is that no group does this or that or the other, but an individual's rights and opinions be respected. I'm told the muslims are out to kill me, for example, and the colsest to this i have experienced (despite having been this > < close to the London bombings) was my good friend Nurgis offering me a cigarette!

The lady that runs the daycare to which the kids I babysit go to, is muslim, and so is all of her family, and they're as nice as it comes. They're really peaceful people, always trying to help others.

Maximum shame be upon those who poison the reputation of any fine individual who tries, accepts, learns, integrates, and brings the differences between themselves and oneself to one as an interesting part of themselves that we can discuss openly with them and learn and evolve from! See my soon to come blog for a great example...

I don't think the question is stereotyping. I think it's a great question that the gay community could help us answer so we can understand more.

A lot of gay guys have a lisp. Not all, but a higher percentage than straight men. I'm curious because I don't think that the lisp really has anything to do with who you're "checking out."

I think it must be a cultural thing or at least a way to let the people around them know without walking around saying "I'm gay" every five seconds.

Some gay men are sooo gay. I would have to go with nurture. I know plenty of gay guys that don't offer any of the stereotypical attributes.