only ever seen white gay men do “like that is such a white twink (tern for skinny young men) thing to do like it is the dumbest thing to write on Grindr” as one entry reported. Others merely saw it as a cruel way to label someone they hardly know as another reported “it is mean plain and simple to write masc for masc is disregarding all these men that could be the one”. They all reported that dating should be about compatibility and although they at some point felt victimized by such words, they stated that they just avoid those kind of men to begin with. As one stated “I do not have to prove my manliness to these men if anything they should prove their worthiness to me if they want to be so specific”. “Masc for masc” is a signal to gay men …show more content…
However, according to my research masculinity is dependent on the individual’s sense of self. Gay Latinos are constructing their masculinity in a “straight acting” ideology when they initially come out as a way to survive in high school. Later after they have graduated and have learned more about themselves they reconstruct their masculinity in a way where they reaffirm their manhood and no longer feel the need to present as someone they are not and can be their true selves. Gay Latinos construct their masculinity along the same thought as their straight counter parts of being comfortable with themselves. They construct their masculinity in a way to feel self-assured. However, it is important to further analyze the generational difference in the Latin Community in gay and straight Latinos to see social shifts in time. Furthermore, it is critical to recognize that these ten men are college students and their responses should not be taken in a general sense given educational achievement and sample size. What can be taken from this is that educational background might impacts how people themselves and each other. These men have demonstrated that manhood is and can be a fluid identity just as any other is dependent on how people chose to present