October 22, 2014:

Stereotypes of Gay Masculinity:  from femme sissy to uber manliness (1^st hour)
and Interview with Will Fellows:  Wisconsin writer and author

WE all use generalizations or profiles about other persons or groups.  It may simply be human nature to categorize or store such types of information in our brain especially during these times of data overload.  As we expand our experiences and connections with individuals of a particular collective profile we, theoretically broaden our views.  On the downside newcomers are often demonized or stereotyped as a threat – sometimes stereotypes create more obstacles for all of us to “simply get along” with each other.

A stereotype adopted about specific types of individuals may or may not accurately reflect reality.  For example since the 1970s and the increasing visibility of the homosexual male, a stereotype of gay men ranges from the emasculated femme sissy to the uber manliness of extreme. Gay masculinity attributes, behaviors, and roles are socially constructed of both socially-defined and biologically-created factors. Such traits associated with female or male characteristics vary depending on location, context, and a variety of social and cultural factors.

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Will Fellows is the author of three books:

• > Farm Boys: Lives of Gay Men from the Rural Midwest (1996)
• > A Passion to Preserve: Gay Men as Keepers of Culture (2004)
• > Gay Bar: The Fabulous, True Story of a Daring Woman and Her Boys in the 1950s (2010)

Farm Boys and A Passion to Preserve were finalists for the Lambda Literary Award.

Will’s writing has appeared in a variety of publications and he has provided editorial and publishing assistance to many other writers. His current projects include collaborating in creating a stage play inspired by the Gay Bar book, and assisting in the publication of a book by Ray Rigoglioso, founder of Gay Men of Wisdom.

Will Fellows grew up on a Wisconsin farm. After completing bachelor’s and master’s degrees in human nutrition at Cornell University, he worked for 20 years as a nutrition educator. He lives in Milwaukee, where he and his life partner, Bronze Quinton, operate a retail eyewear business.