Straight Acting

Abstract

This article explores the meaning of “straight acting,” a term one often hears among gay people. How, why, and by whom is it used? What purposes does it serve and what purposes does the reaction to it serve? How does its use by gays compare to the use of the term “acting white” by blacks? And, since this is a law journal, there's the necessary question: what is law's role in straight acting?

Keywords: straight acting, gay stereotypes, gay civil rights, homosexuals law