Product Description

Why are Some Gay Men Effeminate, and Some Not?; Why are effeminate men despised by gay and straight alike?; Sissyphobia is the first book of its kind - a revealing look into male effeminacy that explores why some gay men are swishy, why other gay men are more masculine, and why effeminate men provoke anger, disgust, and disdain in both gay and straight men. Sissyphobia explores those negative feelings that are aimed at people termed fairies, faggots, flamers and queens; men who, as author Tim Bergling puts it 'run more toward what we could term the Quentin Crisp school of homosexuality' Includes in-depth discussions on:. The reasons straight-acting gay men give for their negative feelings about effeminate or flamboyant men. Why straight men typically resent 'nellie gays' and 'panty-waists' while having much more ambivalent feelings toward straight acting gays. The links between misogyny and sissyphobia. Why more gay men look for masculine traits than feminine ones in a partner. What happens to effeminate boys when they grow up.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #371713 in Books
• Published on: 2001-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 153 pages

About the Author
Tim Bergling is a television news producer who lives and works in Washington D.C. He also served as a US Marine from 1982-1990. His writings have been published in Genre, Out, Instinct, Joey and Hero magazines, as well as a contribution to the military anthology A Night in the Barracks. He is currently working on his second book Reeling in the Years: Gay Men's Perspectives on Age and Ageing.

Customer Reviews

This Is An Important Book
I have long been fascinated with the way in which gay men "buy into" straight thinking; to wit, that anything less than "masculine" is not to be desired. I mean, how many personal ads do you see where the guy is looking for a "fem" guy? Bergling has taken the whole discussion of preconceived gender roles and given it a personal face with the reporting of what real people think. I found the book very helpful in that regard and can only hope it stirs the thinking of those who think that anything "fem" is to be avoided at best and derided at worst. Read this book!
The only reason I didn't give it five stars is because I wanted more; it ended too soon.

Goood Stuff!
this book may be a little on the short side but it is nicely written and above all you can identify with it, whether you are staight, gay, or bi. there is a little hidden wisdom in it for everybody if you just look hard enough with an open enough mind. i myself am not the most ruffneck, gymboi, denim and leather kinda guy, but the book opened my eyes to a harsh truth about the gay world. and i am not going to disclose that truth here cause then what would the point be of reading the book yourself. it portrays all the stereotypes of gay men with harsh honesty about "straight-acting" and "femmie boi" traits, with surprising compassion to both side of the spectrum.

an important book
This is a truly important book. There have been mixed reviews for it so far, but I believe those who think it's not worth being written are clearly not reading it with an open mind. The topics of effeminate gay men and the preconcieved notions we all have about them to some degree are discussed in depth and points and arguments are brought up that most of us have never considered. This is an enlightening and relevant book for anyone concerned with feminism, gay and lesbian rights, or transgender rights.
Reading it gave me a better understanding of how all those groups are tied together and how we all fight the same enemy, and how we are quite often our own enemies in the political and social arenas by not supporting one another.