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Gender roles are a hot topic these days, but there is a segment of the population whose definition of being straight is so narrow, that the moment a man puts in even an ounce of effort, they are immediately declared “gay.”

Someone asked “Straight guys, what is the strangest thing you have been told not to do because "that's gay"?” and people shared their most unhinged examples. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to add your own thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

#1

“Going Down On A Woman”: 50 Straight Guys Share The Wildest Things Labeled “Gay” Eating soup. For some reason a friend of mine thinks soup is gay and I love soup.

Of course my highest rated comment is about gay soup.

rubysundance , Alex Bayev / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

#2

“Going Down On A Woman”: 50 Straight Guys Share The Wildest Things Labeled “Gay” As a straight woman, I think the gayest thing straight men do IS THINK everything is gay. Like…why are you always thinking about being gay? Gay men? Gay things? Colors that are gay, seasons are gay, drinks are gay, clothes are gay? Like…….maybe YOURE GAY dude .

Diolives , Johnny Edgardo Guzman / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#3

I travel to work every day by public transport, including the train. One day a man of Ottoman descent spoke to me. He asked me not to show off my gayness so publicly, as it was disgusting.

I wear a brown leather bracelet on my left wrist with the name of my son (who was 2 years old at the time) engraved on it.

When I confronted him and told him he could keep his homophobic views to himself and that this was my son's name, he accused me of being xenophobic and Islamophobic.

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#4

“Going Down On A Woman”: 50 Straight Guys Share The Wildest Things Labeled “Gay” Have a cat. My little buddy is so damn cool. Everyone loves Cosmo.

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#5

I can sew, knit and crochet. My aunt watched me as a kid and was a seamstress so I picked it up from her. I got a lot of s**t for being able to do this but whateves. Very useful skills.

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#6

“Going Down On A Woman”: 50 Straight Guys Share The Wildest Things Labeled “Gay” When I was a kid I did ballet and I was the only boy in the class. Apparently, dancing with twenty girls and being the fastest runner in the school because of my larger-than-average leg muscles is "gaaaaayyyyyy!".

SamuraiGoblin , cottonbro studio / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#7

“Going Down On A Woman”: 50 Straight Guys Share The Wildest Things Labeled “Gay” Going down on a woman. Seriously. "That's where the d**k goes!"

Fellas, is it gay to have sex with women?

MaximumZer0 , cottonbro studio / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#8

“Going Down On A Woman”: 50 Straight Guys Share The Wildest Things Labeled “Gay” I'm literally tattooing on the guy and say "ok just have Magenta and Gold then we're done" and he I s**t you not says "Magenta?! What are you, queer? Just call it pink. Dont need to have fancy names for s**t"

Like dude, I have 10 different shades of Pink in this drawer, it's kind of my whole f*****g job to know the difference lol

Also, youre the one getting permanently colored pink in this spot, and you wanna call me gay for knowing the name?!

S**t cracked me up.

Warnex9 , Allef Vinicius / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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#9

“Going Down On A Woman”: 50 Straight Guys Share The Wildest Things Labeled “Gay” My dad called me gay for eating a salad at lunch one time. I was in the first grade.

moslof_flosom , Taylor Kiser / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

#10

Show physical affection to a male animal. Specifically, I kissed my male cat on the top of his head.

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#11

“Going Down On A Woman”: 50 Straight Guys Share The Wildest Things Labeled “Gay” When I was in a running club the trainer told me to close my hands to a fist while running, because else it looked gay. I still don't understand his point. Are fists heterosexual and open hands gay? And also how does that have ANYTHING to do with running?

Saaihead , Bradley Dunn / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

#12

“Going Down On A Woman”: 50 Straight Guys Share The Wildest Things Labeled “Gay” Me and my friends were deciding which movie we wanted to check out in the theater and decided on Brokeback Mountain because the alternative looked “kinda gay”.

Mind that we knew what both movies were about and none of us at that time (or since, I hasten to add) were homophobic or intolerant, that was just the vernacular of the time. Soon as my friend said it though we just kinda looked at each other and burst out laughing, and I think that was the last time I remember any of us using the word as an insult.

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#13

“Going Down On A Woman”: 50 Straight Guys Share The Wildest Things Labeled “Gay” Get a vasectomy. I’ve seen it making the rounds of fundamentalist influencers as well. 

Apparently having tons of unprotected worry free sex with my wife is gay. .

barrister_bear , JC Gellidon / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

#14

I used to have a job that required me to wear a suit and tie. A woman I was seeing said that it was gay that I laid them out the night before. The reason I do that is because me and mornings don’t like each other very much.


I was called gay for not grabbing and kissing a female friend of mine when she wanted me to. For the record, this was several weeks after the “I only see you as a friend and I don’t want to date you” speech. She had not updated her feelings for me to me. Apparently respecting women’s stated boundaries is gay.


Hanging out with my best friend? Two men alone together must be doing the gay to each other.


Honestly, it is exhausting sometimes.

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#15

Blasting Pink Pony Club next to some construction workers. 1 started dancing. His buddy called him a flag. He gave him the finger and kept dancing.

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#16

Was out getting drinks with a friend towards the end of pride month, the bar we went to had a special drink for pride called a "Pride-acolada" it had all kinds of fruit in it and sounded delicious so I ordered one. My friend looked at me with terror in his eyes and said "arnt you worried that people will think you are gay if you order that." I just laughed at him, told him I didn't care and no one else does either, lost a bit of respect for him in that moment.

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#17

“Going Down On A Woman”: 50 Straight Guys Share The Wildest Things Labeled “Gay” Any type of PPE on a blue collar job site.

People think getting intense sunburn and skin cancer or having their toes crushed is peak masculinity.

These are the guys in their early 30/40's that have f****d up their bodies and still try to encourage newbies to do the wrong thing.

Hidinginplainsightaw , Los Muertos Crew / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#18

“Going Down On A Woman”: 50 Straight Guys Share The Wildest Things Labeled “Gay” Wiping your own a*s. "Why clean the house unless you're expecting vistors?" -_-

Some of y'all are nasty. How about i just like living in a clean house?

Envy_The_King , CDC / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

#19

I'm a girl dad, so I keep a hair tie looped around my wallet. We kept getting to events (dance, soccer, gymnastics) without one, so I just keep it on me. 


I got called a f****t for doing this.

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#20

“Going Down On A Woman”: 50 Straight Guys Share The Wildest Things Labeled “Gay” Pee sitting down.

I was taking care of my Parkinson's addled father. Walking and falling down were a big issue. I was basically living at his house towards the end, holding his elbow everywhere he went, including many a midnight bathroom trip, standing there holding him up and holding his d**k so he could pee. I kept trying to get him to just sit down to pee so I didn't have to touch his d**k.

"NO! I'm not sitting down to take a p**s!"

"Why not?"

"That's too Fagou!".

Impossible-Bluebird8 , Curology / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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#21

“Going Down On A Woman”: 50 Straight Guys Share The Wildest Things Labeled “Gay” Putting my hands on my hips after running flat out on a treadmill at the gym. It's a "gay pose" apparently!

Viracocha09 , Rulo Mora / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#22

“Going Down On A Woman”: 50 Straight Guys Share The Wildest Things Labeled “Gay” Drink wine.

In "small town southern USA", guys drink beer and girls drink wine. Some dude took my glass of wine and gave me a beer once at a house party.

Swagger316 , Kevin Kelly / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

#23

Cry

It was always kids at school never at home though. My dad is, at least emotionally, a tradional man's man, but he never told me not to cry. Which caused some issues for me as a kid but helped the adult me be emotionally healthy.

A couple years ago my dad played my family possibly the saddest song to ever exist. Jacobs Dream by Allison Krauss. A devastating song about children freezing to death in the woods while their parents search for them often from the POV of the dead kids, including lines like 'mommy and daddy don't cry we arent cold anymore'

I didn't make it past the first chorus before breaking down, like full body sobs. My dad says something like the classic 'are you really that upset' to which i replied something like 'im not ashamed of the crying, its a really sad song'

The song finished out as my dad continued to pick up around the house, and I definitely saw him wipe a few tears away. He's been a bit more open about showing tears since then. Its funny because it helped me realize my biggest cry trigger: strong men trying to hold back tears and failing

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#24

Like flowers. B***h, I love lilacs and will not be shamed for going out of my way every spring to fall in love with the smell again and again.

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#25

Liking cats. Apparently favoring cats over dogs makes me gay.

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#26

Find a woman with short hair attractive.

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#27

“Going Down On A Woman”: 50 Straight Guys Share The Wildest Things Labeled “Gay” Grew up in the 80s and 90s anything you did or expressed a interest in you got called gay for.

knowsitmaybenot , Garrett johnson / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#28

“Going Down On A Woman”: 50 Straight Guys Share The Wildest Things Labeled “Gay” The strangest one I've heard is "Two guys can't drive around in a convertible with the top down."

Another one:  "Two guys can't sit next to each other in a movie theater if it's not crowded.".

instantcreampie , Duran Ekiz / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#29

“Going Down On A Woman”: 50 Straight Guys Share The Wildest Things Labeled “Gay” Liking the color pink. I didn't care about this at first when I was a kid cuz I really liked the color green.

Liking butterflies. Liking green to me meant liking nature as well, cuz nature has the best greens. And nature provides the most beautiful of colors. Insects and especially butterflies fascinated me. They're just cool and pretty to look at.

destinedjagold , Ketut Subiyanto / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#30

I haven't been told this, but a Facebook friend posted she would never let her man wear flip flops because "that's gay".

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#32

I once (advised by my therapist) tried to make friends at work by asking someone to go grab a coffee... He said it was weird for two men to go get coffee.

F**k you too, Miguel.

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#35

“Going Down On A Woman”: 50 Straight Guys Share The Wildest Things Labeled “Gay” I had a male friend who wouldn’t drink through a straw because you “look gay” when you use a straw.

Imaginary_Pause24 , Ashley Kirk / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

#36

Moisturizing, using conditioner, or spending time on skincare.

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#37

Not drinking alcohol when using power tools. I do woodworking as a hobby, and not drinking alcohol when operating table saws and planners is gay apparently. I guess PPE is also gay by extension.

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#38

Saying I love you and hugging your best friend as a man that is a man.

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#39

Using an umbrella.

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#40

“Going Down On A Woman”: 50 Straight Guys Share The Wildest Things Labeled “Gay” Wear pink or similar colours, although it definitely is my colour.

MassiveCourage3322 , Sven Vahaja / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

#41

“Going Down On A Woman”: 50 Straight Guys Share The Wildest Things Labeled “Gay” Wallet on left side? Gay.
Ear ring in right ear? Gay
Having a color preference of any kind? Gay
M*******ting? Means you are gay.

Any crossing of the legs other than foot on top of opposite knee? Gay.

oldfogey12345 , Sezer Uzunoğlu / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#43

“Going Down On A Woman”: 50 Straight Guys Share The Wildest Things Labeled “Gay” My cousin introduced me to the computer game “you don’t know jack”. When I visited him again, he had uninstalled it and wouldn’t let me play it because he said it makes people gay.

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#44

Old guys at work said that liking avocado is gay.

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#46

I'm of Mexican descent, which has a very machista culture. When I was a kid I used to eat tacos by squeezing my thumb and index fingers and my other 3 digits would be standing up. My parents would make fun of me and would say it looked feminine every time they caught me doing it till I stopped cuz I was just really annoyed by it all. I mean, its terrible taco eating form, no support, but that's not why they hassled me.

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#47

“Going Down On A Woman”: 50 Straight Guys Share The Wildest Things Labeled “Gay” Design curvy UI component, like button, alert dialog, text box. If its too rounded, my coworker say its gay.

fishintankagain , charlesdeluvio / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

#48

“Going Down On A Woman”: 50 Straight Guys Share The Wildest Things Labeled “Gay” Checking my finger nails with my palm facing away from me lol .

MarkZuckarberg , Vika Glitter / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#49

Listening to music where the singer is a male.

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#50

“Going Down On A Woman”: 50 Straight Guys Share The Wildest Things Labeled “Gay” Any leg cross that wasn't your ankle sitting on your knee was gay.

TheMazoo , Tima Miroshnichenko / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Note: this post originally had 65 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.