Anyone else have a completely inoperable 'Gaydar' by any chance?

[NNN0LHI]

I will be the first to admit that I was totally surprised and crushed when Stephanie Miller came out. I love her to death. I thought she was just my type. Laughing and giggling all the time. Brunette and beautiful. Can't think of many people I would rather spend some time with just laughing and joking around with than her. I still would.

I never know someone is gay until they come out like Stephanie did. Feels like I am always the last to know these things.

OK, I admit I also can't spot people wearing wigs either. Even obvious ones. Until someone points it out to me and then I have one of them palm to the forehead moments.

Weird, huh? Anyone else like this?

Don

[ret5hd]

1. I think you can buy one at Sharper Image.

[NNN0LHI]

2. Will it work on wigs too?

Think I was in my 20's when someone told me Liberace was gay.

Don

[zipplewrath]

3. I think most people do

And it goes well beyond gaydar. I don't mean this in a negative way, but there are people who clue in very accurately on external, almost cosmetic, indications about peoples personalities, and then there are the other 99% of us. I have a wife that "knows" ethnic background and cultural leanings just basically by observing people. I miss it all and have to be told. Social workers have all manner of classification systems (it's where the whole "type A" expression comes from) and often can and do classify people virtually immediately based upon otherwise "superficial" features.

[sailor65]

4. Mine was never installed at the factory

I went almost a year with one of my dive buddies before he finally asked me did I really not know he was gay. I had no idea. To this day, I'd never know it had he not said anything, and we spend quite a bit of time together.

And then there was my dream of marrying Chely Wright......

[TNDemo]

5. My daughter does.

She would bring a guy home and my gaydar would immediately alert. To this day she can never tell but I was right about the guys.

[independent_voter]

6. I had a gay friend explain what gaydar is

after I had known him for a year and had no clue he was gay

so i guess mine doesnt work either

like many gay people, he doesnt 'look it' at all

[xchrom]

7. Gay Central Committee is introducing a Gaydar app. nt

[raccoon]

8. My gaydar has improved in the last few years, so there is hope.

But like you, I used to be totally clueless about this.

Part of it, I think, is the time I grew up. (I'm about 60 now.) When I was 12 years old, several 20-something men lived in a house next door. They were kind of different, I thought, but I didn't get it then that they were gay.

[fifthoffive]

9. Me!

I never know. But then again, it's not something I think about a lot.

[Jokerman]

10. Maybe because "gaydar" plays to a tired stereotype.

I don't really care if someone is gay so why should I be concerned whether or not I can make guesses about their love life just by looking at them?

[EFerrari]

12. Mine has nothing to do with how people look at all

and it's not something I "do", either. It's just a fact that presents itself like blue eyes or tallness. It can be sort of annoying, too. Gaydar ruined mattress commercials for me forever. lol

[WeekendWarrior]

11. Why would you be crushed?

Did you think you had a chance with her? Seriously?

And she's still beautiful and brunette and your type. That's she's gay really shouldn't make a difference should it? Unless you've let some fantasy dictate your feelings.

I just don't get why it would even matter to you.

[Dappleganger]

13. "Did you think you had a chance with her. Seriously?"

:rofl:

[slackmaster]

14. I don't know whether my Gaydar works or not. I just don't care.

I never have.

[Dappleganger]

15. One of my friends...

has been listening to her for YEARS (she's gay) had absolutely no idea. It really, truly shocked (and delighted) her the day Stephanie came out on her show. Then she went through a semi-crisis over the phone thinking that her gaydar was in fact, completely out of calibration and due for a major overhaul. I was of course, completely clueless (as usual).

[pipi_k]

16. Unless someone is really obvious about it...

I usually can't tell either.

Even then, someone can act in a certain manner and still not be gay. I remember after separating from an ex husband and one of the neighbors finally confessing to me that she thought he was gay because he had some decided effeminate mannerisms. He most definitely was NOT gay, though, so mannerisms and speech don't always matter.


As for the wigs...I'm pretty good at spotting them. Probably because I have a whole wardrobe of little clip-on hair pieces.

The only wig/hairpiece I didn't catch was the one a friend wears on top of her short hair to fill in a small thin spot. It's small...not more than 5" across, and it blends in perfectly with her own hair.

Otherwise, I'm pretty good at recognizing a wig on someone else. First off, unless it's real expensive, the wig will more than likely be all one color. Not like "normal" hair which is a blend of colors and shades. Second, if it's not human hair, it will probably have a very high "sheen" that's obvious if it's a partial wig, fall, or hairpiece that doesn't match the sheen of the natural hair.


I really hope nobody can tell those things about my hairpieces...

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

17. I had always assumed Stephanie Miller was gay

Can't tell you why... I just did.