"Gaydar" Still Not A Real Thing
We still don't believe in the preternatural ability to discern someone's sexuality.
The dang Dutch are at it again. After terrorizing us with wooden shoes and windmills for what feels like decades, they then allowed their name to be associated with crummy stuff like Von Dutch hats and Dutch ovens (not the thick-walled cooking vessel). And now they're trying to convince us that "gaydar" exists.
Per MyFoxMemphis, researchers in Holland have studied 42 people between the ages of 18 and 30 and discovered that the gay half of the researched population are really good at picking out other gay folks. Evidently, the science people who conducted the study found that the gay people—all 21 of them—responded to questions more accurately (but less rapidly) than the 21 straights.
Dr. Lorenza Colzato hypothesizes, "This perceptual skill allows homosexuals to recognise other gay people faster and we think it's because they are much more analytic than heterosexuals." I suppose this means that we no longer have to ask if someone is a friend of Lance Bass.
It should be pointed out that none of the 42 people involved were ever asked to determine sexual orientation by looking at photographs, videos or live models.
Frankly, anyone can be reasonably sure that a guy with blonde highlights, Capri pants and turquoise jewelry who happens to have sex regularly with other men is gay, or at the very least confused because turquoise jewelry is TACKY. But the ability to eyeball a fellow or broad and know that this person prefers the company, sexually, of someone of like gender is a fairly preposterous proposition for both gays and straights, and presupposing that you have that power is a good way to make an ass of yourself (and me too, because I'm the one assuming that you're making an assumption). Yeah, I'm gonna need far better evidence before I can believe in either "gaydar" or "astronomy."
Thoughts on "gaydar"?