New study finds gay men don’t want their voices to give away their sexuality

A new study has found that gay men and women are still worried about disclosing their sexual orientation when they first meet someone – and that gay men actively deepen their voices to appear more straight.

The study, from researchers at the University of Surrey in England, Instituto Universitario in Portugal, and University of Padua in Italy, surveyed 241 straight, gay, and lesbian people. The study found that straight men, more than any other group, wanted their sexuality immediately known when first meeting a stranger. While “gay men and lesbian women showed no desire for their voice to disclose their sexual orientation as it could potentially make them unwanted targets of prejudice,” the University of Surrey reports.

The study also found that men more than women believe their voice gives away their sexuality. “What we have learnt in this study is that individuals share stereotypes about voice as an indicator of sexual orientation,” says Dr Fabio Fasoli, Research Fellow at the University of Surrey. “Fears of discrimination and being subject to unwanted stereotyping may lead people to alter their voice, in particular men trying to sound more masculine to conform to social norms.

“It is disappointing that in 2018 stereotypes about masculinity/femininity persists and fears of being misidentified/identified as gay and lesbian still exists. This may explain why a person feels the need to alter how they present themselves.”

A study in the Archives of Sexual Behaviour last year found that job applicants “who sound gay” were less likely to get hired.

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