Do I Sound Gay?
Approaching middle age, David Thorpe, a South Carolina native who has lived most of his adult life in New York City, laments his single gay status at this stage of his life. In his self-critical view, he blames that status partly on what he considers his stereotypical gay-sounding voice, something he himself doesn't like and believes that most gay men don't like in others, wanting partners who sound more masculine. David goes to vocal coaches and speech therapists to help him transform his voice into what he considers a more standard-sounding nondescript male voice. He also speaks to gay celebrities about their voices and what--if anything--they did to them. He speaks to other experts about how "the gay voice" came into being, its history, and if there is a theory of it being biologically inherent to gay men, or if it truly is a product of environment. He also talks to long-time friends and family members about his own gay voice, which might have emerged on a more conscious level than he thought. Through the entire process, David comes to some conclusions about that voice which might also surprise him. Written by Huggo
