No Kink Please, We're Good Gays! - The Homogenization of Gay Culture
No Kink Please, We're Good Gays! - The Homogenization of Gay Culture
Presenter: James Laidler, BSc (Hons), PgDip, Certified Life Coach
Sunday, June 15, 2025, 10am-noon (US Pacific) / 11am-1:00pm (US Mountain) / noon-2:00pm (US Central) / 1-3:00 pm (US Eastern) / 6-8:00pm (BST - London) / 7-9:00pm (CEST - Prague, Berlin, Stockholm); 2 hours.
Please use 1:00pm/1300 (Eastern), New York City, as a reference to confirm your local start time.
To register for the webinar, please visit: https://forms.gle/R5eVe2hLNqs19nqDA
Attendees may earn 2 Continuing Education (CE) credits
Cost: Attendance is free for all CARAS subscribers.
Attendance with CE credit is free for CARAS Professional and Student subscribers, and $40 for others.
Attendance without CE credit for non-subscribers is $25
Pre-registration is required. Registration will close at 3pm (Pacific)/6pm (Eastern) on Friday, June 13, 2025 Please register early!
Abstract
This webinar explores the evolving dynamics of gay culture, highlighting the flattening of its diversity due to assimilation into heteronormative society and the internalization of homophobia. The drive for mainstream acceptance has fostered the adoption of ethnocentric ideals, epitomized by the "Chelsea boy" stereotype—a white, affluent, hypermasculine archetype. This has led to the devaluation of queer sexual cultures and the marginalization of those who do not conform to these narrow norms.
The discussion will delve into how societal pressures, including the legacy of the HIV/AIDS crisis, have shaped sexual conservatism within the gay community, promoting monogamy and traditional relationships at the expense of non-conventional queer identities and practices. Additionally, internalized homophobia perpetuates this monoculturalism, fostering rejection of effeminacy and elevating hypermasculine ideals, as exemplified by the "gay clone" phenomenon of the 1970s.
The presentation will also address the intersectional impact of these dynamics, emphasizing how gay men of color and working-class gay men are marginalized within this homonormative framework. Gay men of color face objectification and sexual racism, while working-class men grapple with cultural and economic barriers to acceptance in a predominantly middle-class community.
Drawing on contemporary research and cultural analysis, this session will critically examine the consequences of this cultural narrowing, including the reinforcement of societal prejudices, internal community hierarchies, and the loss of the rich diversity that once defined queer culture. It will conclude with reflections on how to reclaim and celebrate the plurality of gay experiences.
This session will be relevant to psychologists and other health care professionals who work with kinky, gay and queer clients, as well as researchers and others who seek to understand trajectories of change in queer sexual cultures today.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
Identify three historical and cultural factors that drive the homogenization of gay culture.
Describe the intersectional impacts of ethnocentric monoculturalism on marginalized groups within the gay community.
Describe effective approaches to foster inclusivity and celebrate the diversity of queer identities.
Presentation Content Level: Introductory - Intermediate. This webinar will provide an introduction to the topic but also provide an opportunity for discussion at a more advanced level that presupposes basic knowledge of alternative sexualities communities.
Disclosures: There is no conflict of interest or commercial support for this presentation. James is the author of a forthcoming book addressing the topic of this webinar.
About the Presenter
James Laidler, BSc (Hons), PgDip, Certified Life Coach, is a British Academy Award-winning journalist, author, life coach, and broadcaster. Formerly Executive Producer of the UK’s most-watched morning show, he championed LGBTQ+ representation as part of the BBC’s DEIB Board. He’s now based in Chicago and runs Pointerway, coaching queer men how to lead authentic, fulfilling lives.
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