[LemonJam]

Originally Posted by LukeB

BBUK could use Kenny as an example for casting because stereotypes can be annoying after a while and so many could relate with him because not everyone gay male is flamboyant and act the same way(which most people think)

See I don't really understand this and there's a kinda broad topic of discussion here so I'm gonna open this can of worms.

Firstly most people assume I'm straight. Why? I don't know and it's kinda annoying. Maybe it's because I don't pay attention to pop culture, I love rap music, I don't really care about my appearance/personal style, I'm very low-key, I hate shopping etc. However if I fancy whacking on an episode of Absolutely Fabulous, pouring myself a glass of rosé wine or girating around to Destinys Child and someone says "omg you're sooo gay" I'm not gonna be offended because well... I am gay? And if I see an effeminate gay man on a show such as Big Brother I'm not going to be concerned about how he represents the community because of his flamboyance, he is who he is and I will care more about his personality.

I mean masculinity is essentially just a concept that's drilled in by society's norms and as gay men I feel that we really understand this better than anyone. I wouldn't say Aneal or Mitch are particularly flamboyant but they are themselves without any concerns of masculinity. Plus I don't think Kenny was a good role model for gay people. In fact he was arguably one of the worst: hiding your sexuality from the house is just an awful, awful example. If 13 year old LemonJam was watching Kenny saying "I'm not going to come out in case it's used against me" I would be even more scared to come out. Plus the fact he played with womens emotions that he would never be interested in, called women bitches and that he'd push one of them down the stairs, I don't really see him as good representation.

Now take Gary who was himself and extremely proud and imagine the impact Gary probably had on young gay kids watching the show, (especially if he would have won as Topaz intended. ) There is a need for the Garys and the Rauls and the Scotts on these kinds of programs so kids like them can feel like they're not alone and that they're represented, because there are a lot of flamboyant gay people out there and we love them all. There is nothing wrong with being flamboyant, hell, I wish I was a bit more flamboyant. There is so much harm in the whole "masc" and "straight acting" concept when people shouldn't care about being "manly" whether you're homosexual or heterosexual. What's more important is that you are yourself.