“But you’re gay… why do you like sailing and WWE?”
“Well, I feel like both of those are pretty gay considering the reputation the Navy has and WWE being all sweaty men.”
“EXPLAIN FIREARMS THEN.”
“Shooty go pew.”
“WHAT ARE YOU?!”
“Hungry.”
Based off of a real conversation I’ve had.
So, it’s on purpose? It’s, like, an act or something? An adaptation, perhaps? An adoption of mannerisms associated with the group one belongs to and wishes to be associated with (due to said belonging).
I don’t believe that’s the case for everyone. There were 3 boys in my elementary school that were flamboyant from the earliest I can remember them. They just always had the mannerisms, and other kids talked and wondered even back in fourth grade, “Is he gay?”
Two of them eventually came out as gay. One ended up being straight, he was just very animated and coincidentally spoke with a lisp.
That is to say, some people naturally have a flamboyant energy. Others would have such an energy, but are shamed if they express it. There are simply too many reasons and factors at play to ascribe only one explanation.
For one of my friends, it was like they were acting all the time as a straight person. When they came out they wanted to express their new self.
One of my friends stayed in the closet for years, even when all his friends knew he was gay, and we kept telling him we didn’t care. When he came out of the closet, he was over the top flamboyant. After a couple more years, he really toned back on most of the mannerisms. It was like he tried on the flamboyancy and then decided he just liked men, not the act.