Gay Men And Body Image: Are They More Superficial Than Women And Straight Men?

Are Gay Men Really More Superficial Than Women And Straight Men?

A panel of writers and community members joined HuffPost Live this week to weigh in on whether or not gay men are really more superficial and image-conscious than women and straight men.

Preceding the discussion was psychologist Nando Pelusi, who noted, "Men are more visual, so gay culture basically reveals male sexuality in its purest form. So we're going to put a high premium on what somebody looks like when we're male, regardless of our preference."

Still, the panelists felt it was a little less cut-and-dry.

"Most of us are image-conscious [regardless of our sexuality]," Thought Catalog writer Madison Moore offered. "It's undeniable that sex is a major feature of contemporary mainstream gay culture and has always been. So if you want to go out 'on the pull,' as the Brits say, you've got to...take care of your body."

Added BOYS editor Zach Stafford, "'Be what you want to date' is something that I heard a lot when I moved to Chicago ... it becomes very narcissistic."

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