Of the gay friends I have/have had/I have met, they always tend to speak very quickly, compared with straight. Think about how voice inflection, volume, even dialect and accent affects your perception of a person. Bottom line: interesting topic and hopefully we can all respect other speech patterns and vernaculars within communities. From an early age, it identified me as gay. I tried to hide it to no avail and ended up coming out to family and everyone else when I was 20. All humans have … In older work, speech pathologists often focused on high pitch among men, in its resemblance to women, as a defect. I've always wondered if it's a sonic 'device' used (consciously or unconsciously) as a (relatively) subtle clue to potential mates, alerting them to the fact that the person is gay. When we hit puberty, hormones invariably cause the voice to change. But I think a lot of gay men, including me, want to know why. I had normal testosterone and developed a powerful first tenor voice. Puberphonia (also known as mutational falsetto, functional falsetto, incomplete mutation, adolescent falsetto, or pubescent falsetto) is a functional voice disorder that is characterized by the habitual use of a high-pitched voice after puberty, hence why many refer to the disorder as resulting in a ‘ falsetto ’ voice. ", As many professionals in the fields of linguistics and socio-linguistics will tell you, this phenomenon is not unique to gay men. I'm sure this is a natural response to possessing an observable variance of the majority population. Voice cracks can happen no matter your age, gender, or whether you’re a teenager in class, 50-something executive at work, or a professional singer on stage. I have always thought that gay men tend to speak far more quickly than straight men do. So much for that. Where did it come from? The stereotypically gay ways of speaking are socially acquired in order to be accepted by other gay men who speak the same way, in my opinion. Some men may subconsciously adopt certain female speech patterns. Or maybe your friends are mostly girls or openly gay boys. While testosterone is a hormone that both sexes produce, men get a higher dose of the stuff than women. Think of how you may speak more professionally in one setting and also have a more casual register around your friends and family. It has a biological basis, just as homosexual attraction does. Not just his voice, but very much about him (body language, his walk) makes him appear to be gay. The straightest-sounding voice in the study was in fact a gay man, and the sixth gayest-sounding voice was a straight man. Maybe you grew up with a bunch of females either at home or in the neighborhood. Research has shown again and again that testosterone levels have absolutely nothing to do with sexual orientation. More often, hoarse: Acid reflux certainly can impact the voice. The fact that most pronounce a mono-syllabic word using two-to-three syllables (the word "no" becomes "nuuuooow") indicates to me a sense of pretentiousness and fabulousness, which perhaps they want to believe about themselves. The changes in sound are usually due to disorders related to the vocal folds , which are the sound- producing parts of the voice … I am one of those. Why do some gay men “sound” gay? If you were a smaller subgroup of individuals and you wanted to find other people in your community, speech is a no-fail, no-guesswork way to communicate your "membership" to and of that group. Another evidence of this is that some women with very low-pitched voices may sound like gay men. The problem can be from using one’s voice incorrectly- such as in a falsetto- which should respond to voice therapy. It's a form of acting a part in a movie or a play, except that the audience is anyone within earshot! My perspective of "gay speech" is that it has to do with acceptance and integration into a culture/community you seek or feel a part of. Please call the office, Parathyroid Disease Diagnosis and Treatment, Ear Infections (Otitis Media) in Children, Otosclerosis Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment, Cholesteatoma – Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment, Information for Patients – Cosmetic Surgery, Rhinoplasty (Plastic Surgery) – Preparing and What to Expect, Facial Implants Preparation, Day of Surgery, and Post-Operative Care. A high pitched voice is not usually caused by a lump in the throat or a post nasal drip. If I were these researchers, I would be interested in identifying the origins of the gay manner of speaking. Aging may bring a loss of flexibility. So, it must be a fully subconscious sort of thing. I sound like a wrestler when I talk, even though I'm not built like one (well, I'm taller than The Undertaker but I am more skinny than muscular.) These 14 signs of high testosterone in men tell you what it means exactly. If I am in a group of younger men I am not familiar with, for example, I will dampen my "lavender" language. I have two voices. Rogers and Smyth are also exploring the stereotypes that gay men sound effeminate and are recognized by the way they speak. I love gay men! How a simple sticker helped members of the LGBTQ community feel more welcome at U of T, U of T was decked out in bright colours in June to celebrate Pride, Shawn Ahmed has felt firsthand how religious beliefs can lead to discrimination, U of T Mississauga professor Judith Andersen’s training techniques improve police performance in tense situations. He’s a serious Baptist and I pity him for what seems to be a very clear denial of the person he is. It’s a treatable, typically through the use of speech therapy. To request an appointment at NYOG by email, please give us your contact information in the form below and we will get back to you shortly with available dates. As for the testosterone question, that is definitely not true. Authentic, from the toes up. As different things develop at different times a high voice might be as influenced by nutrition as anything else. Listen to the affectation of gay male clothing designers....they almost speak in another language altogether. I've always been self conscious about my voice. I wish I could sound completely gay/effiminate because it prevents unwanted attention from girls. a British person) or other cultural speech like African-American vernacular. It wasn't until my mid-teens that I can recall my speech patterns changing depending on the circumstances. Common causes of high T levels in people with vulvas include: Hirsutism, which causes the excessive growth of body hair. You can’t tell any more. If you have a hoarse voice for more than 3 weeks, it … This is just one example, there are plenty more. I would also identify the different modes of gay speech and determine what other factors, e.g., socioeconomic status, region, age, etc. Gay and straight men alike can have any level of testosterone. This leads to traits like homosexuality. The gay voice is not a learned behavior. Another condition that may affect your voice is a voice disorder called puberphonia. It wasn't a learned thing with him, he literally sprang from the womb knowing who and what he was, just not how to articulate it. Now 35, I am still very curious as to how and why a child who didn't even grasp what a gay person was, or had any exposure to gay men, would speak with stereotypical and identifiable gay speech characteristics. They also have more sexual partners, engage in intercourse more often, and begin having sex at a younger age. Basically, for a high pitched voice- without other cause- we surgically remove a thin strip of cartilage from the voice box, as an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia. They're also passed on through vaginal and anal sex, and are linked to cancer of the cervix, anus and penis. This behavior trait appears on a continuum, so some men who are straight may have a feminine vocalization, while many men who are gay did not have their vocalizations "feminized" so-to-speak. This article seems to be addressing a stereotype issue rather than looking at why this is a topic at all. I have recently answered a similar question from a 21 year old man with a high pitched voice and have taken the liberty of using much of the answer I wrote to him. It’s well known that low levels of testosterone can reduce your libido, but … Vocal cord paralysis or vocal cord nodules or polyps can result in a high pitched voice which is also usually breathy. The human embryo has the capacity to develop either male or female behaviors. And that's how I feel. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. They want to know how men acquire this manner of speaking, and why – especially when society so often stigmatizes those with gay-sounding voices. A low-pitched voice is considered sexy, but it doesn't mean a man has better semen, according to Australian researchers who found that low-voiced men may even be at a disadvantage in that regard. And most of my friends/colleagues who sing bass are gay. Because he has to. But the voice he eventually articulated it in? Many gay men "vocalize" like women. Spasmodic dysphonia causes voice breaks during speaking and can make the voice sound tight, strained, or breathy. Rahul Kalvapalle, Patricia Lonergan and Don Campbell, How this tiny animal is helping scientists investigate disorders of the human brain, How U of T handled a semester like no other, Your email address will not be published. Before I knew exactly what gay was, I always sounded gay no matter the circumstances. I have always had a feminine voice but never realized it myself until I would see videos or hear vocal recordings of myself. Is there anything I can do? Most hetero women do. Convocation Hall’s new top, preparing for virtual labs, and a spectacular campus trail that’s accessible to all, By Hoarseness or a change in your voice. Why? The sing-song voice has been with me before I even found the gay community, which is why I honestly would go through spurts of not talking altogether. Your email address will not be published. They asked people to listen to recordings of 25 men, 17 of them gay. I didn't learn it from anyone, it was inherent. Substantial vocal folds also explain why men tend to have deeper voices than women. Likewise, we humans know masculine or feminine vocalizations when we hear them. In 62 per cent of the cases the listeners identified the sexual orientation of the speakers correctly. I was terrified of my mother finding out, so I talked in a much more "normal' boy voice around my family. They are a marker of group identity. I don't really care how I sound, but I do crave the feeling of authenticity that characterizes voice #2. It highlights his various masculine features that we’re all familiar with: higher muscle mass, larger bone structure, copious amounts of hair, etc. Now as an adult, It's hard to break that habit. I have no idea why! Many straight men have high, “gay” sounding voices, while many gay men actually do not. There is more than one type of gay speech. However, often a high pitched voice is due to the vocal cords being stretched too tightly by the failure to develop a thickening of the voice box with puberty. It doesn't happen often. When it does, people tell me I seem a completely different person. When we listen to others, that's receptive communication. I’m A 19 Year Old Man With A High Pitched Voice. Keep reading to get more information on what causes high estrogen in men. He developed the idea of “laryngeal framework surgery”. However, sometimes this does not occur as one would like, leaving the voice with a high pitch. Gay men seem so much more easily relatable than heterosexual men. After identifying phonetic characteristics that seem to make a man’s voice sound gay, their best hunch is that some gay men may subconsciously adopt certain female speech patterns. Is There Anything I Can Do? You can identify the sex of many animals by their vocalizations. Vocal cord paralysis or vocal cord nodules or polyps can result in a high pitched voice which is also usually breathy. So basically, I feel "gay male speech" is cultural, just like dialect (think Southern drawl), accents (e.g. We take most insurance plans. This allows the vocal cord to relax and lowers the pitch of the voice. An aging vocal mechanism. are associated with the different forms of gay speech. As a gay man, I know my speech patterns vary depending on the situation. Groundbreaking work was done by Professor Ishiiki from Japan probably 25 years ago and I had the opportunity to participate in his first teaching course in this country. Why should a red-blooded, healthy male worry about estrogen? I haven't read any research but have done a fair amount of singing. It shows up in Reese Witherspoon's character in the movie "Sweet Home Alabama.". A high pitched voice is not usually caused by a lump in the throat or a post nasal drip. Thanks for your recent question. I think @Stacey hits it spot on, but there is an issue with the linguistic register argument. In more severe cases, spasms may occur on every word, making a person’s speech very difficult to understand. I work with a man who is married and raising his wife’s sons. High estrogen in men is a legitimate health concern. Some gay guys have an effeminate speaking voice, while others have a masculine voice. As a result, men with high testosterone levels tend to have bigger noses. Thorpe himself sought help from speech pathologist Susan Sankin to change his diction. Then there are straight men who have an effeminate voice. After identifying phonetic characteristics that seem to make a man’s voice sound gay, their best hunch is that some gay men may subconsciously adopt certain female speech patterns. Required fields are marked *. The types of HPV that cause visible warts are low risk and are not the same types that cause cancer. Many gay men speak exactly as you would expect a straight man to speak. During puberty, a surge of sex hormones causes vocal folds to lengthen and build up muscle, more so for boys who experience a spike in testosterone at this time. We are close in age and I've always known he was gay. However, I was much more comfortable in my effeminate voice and ways around my friends. Fortunately, most can be helped with a simple outpatient surgical procedure, called  a thyroplasty. Finally, I would try to establish why some gay men do not acquire the gay way of speaking. Studies have found that the lower the pitch of a man's voice, the higher his testosterone level, which itself is an indicator of his genetic quality and sexual fitness. Even growing up in an extremely Christian family, where I tried to hide what I was, I still got questions all the time about my sexuality. I’ve always wondered about this. The voice in my head is more normal, so I always hate the sound of my own voice. I have the opposite problem. We stereotype others (positively or negatively) by dialect and all of these other factors. Testosterone is a hormone produced by the human body. “If you have lost your voice, you might find that your voice sounds rough, raspy, tired or feel like it takes a lot of effort to speak,” he says. Having an effiminate voice usually prevents me from having to come out to every single person I meet, which gets annoying. You can practice modulating your voice everyday until you'll get comfortable using it as your normal voice. The gay voice happens when I live in my normal state of anxiety. It's how we project our personalities and our message. This could further back studies that argue sexuality is a genetic attribute. A high pitched voice can be quite a social problem for a young man- just as a low pitched voice can be an issue for a woman in our society. Vocal cord paralysis or vocal cord nodules or polyps can result in a high pitched voice which is also usually breathy. I am happy and proud to be how I am. I'm a licensed speech therapist. I will tell you that I am a heterosexual woman and when I listen to a man and watch a man and believe he is most likely gay, he automatically is more highly valued to me than heterosexual men. In my high school there was a kid who "sounded gay" who would swear he wasn't. When hoarse, the voice may sound breathy, raspy, strained, or there may be changes in volume (loudness) or pitch (how high or low the voice is). Why do we speak with the stereotypical gay speech? I have a family member who is gay. We can say the same sentence but change intonation to make it "sound" angry, happy, sarcastic, etc. Also called “mutational falsetto”, people with the disorder continue to have adolescent voice characteristics (e.g., higher-pitched, voice cracking, and breathy) past the stage of puberty. Some can be passed on through skin-to-skin contact and cause warts, including genital warts. 17 – Deep Voice Testosterone is one of the factors that lead to having a deeper voice. The most common cause of a voice change later in life is aging of the voice box and the respiratory system that powers the voice. I feel like me. There is a specific change in a male teenager’s voice as the cartilage of the larynx (voice box) gets thicker around puberty. A high-pitched, lisping voice that goes up at the end has been part of the gay male stereotype for years. A high pitched voice is not usually caused by a lump in the throat or a post nasal drip. Are you a man who is dealing with high levels of estrogen? For example, some male singers who have higher ranges and more 'feminine' sounding voices cannot be differentiated from a female; the majority have been gay. The problem can be from using one’s voice incorrectly- such as in a falsetto- which should respond to voice therapy. I explained it to my grandma this way, when she asked "why do gay men sound like that." There is no physical reason why gay men in particular should have a high voice. I had male and female peers as friends so it's not as if I acquired a feminized speech pattern from an exclusive exposure to one gender in my social groups. Thank you for your question. The male voice develops in puberty when testosterone levels are anything but level. It’s mainly produced in men by the testicles. What Causes High Estrogen In Men? Males with lower voices masturbate more frequently compared to those who's voices are higher pitched. Obviously, this is not a rare problem, and can be quite disconcerting to those affected. I was a gay guy until I was 20, at which point I transitioned to female. Its results are immediate and gratifying. In some people, the breaks occur once every few sentences. 1. That had always been there. Interestingly, I did not code switch at all when I was younger. There should be people in your area who can do this surgery- or you can certainly contact us at the NY Voice Center of the NY Otolaryngology Group. These 15 are known as high-risk HPV types. The challenge: getting police to use them. My parents were extremely homophobic growing up, especially my mother, so trying to hide my gayness, including my voice was always a real struggle. Increased sex drive. He's always had "the voice" - even as a small child. It is not just the pitch of the voice, but it's the valley-girl-mixed-with-British pronunciation that, in my opinion allows them to feel better about themselves. As we age our voices change. Perhaps fewer than half of gay men sound gay, says Rogers. Thanks, that is very sweet that you find my voice pleasing to the ear, … Question: I’m a 19 year old man with a high pitched voice. Some effeminate men … After three years of research, linguistics professors Henry Rogers and Ron Smyth may be on the verge of answering that question. Sometimes this is a conscious decision: I use to protect myself. I believe that gay men use a female persona to be campy. North American English. Your immediate environment and your upbringing certainly have a lot to do with it. Having grown up in the homo-hysterical 80s, I hate to admit that I think that those whose voices "pass" for straight are the lucky ones. More often it makes it lower and hoarse, hitting the range that notes shift into the "head" register. A linguistic register is a type of language used for a specific purpose. I knew two boys as a child who had the stereotypical lisp sound and eventually came out later in life. Males and females have different vocal fold sizes, and the shorter vocal folds of women makes their pitch higher. On the other hand, I've noticed that while in the company of women or gay men, my speech more stereotypically "gay. Thank you for correcting that assumption for me. "You're just so.... cute. " These sex-determined vocalizations are not learned behaviors - they are inborn. The male/female animal didn't learn it from its father/mother. Human beings are complex. Because gay men have long been stigmatised, the voice is often a source of shame. I believe some men actually are born with the so-called gay-sounding voice. Most of us don't think much about our voices from day to day, taking for granted our ability to talk, shout, murmur, laugh and groan. It's frustrating not having an answer! We gain most information about the speaker's message by observing the use of intonation, prosody, body language, etc. We make judgements and determinations about a speaker based on those markers. Generally XY babies develop masculine behaviors, and YY babies develop feminine behaviors, but sometimes the nerve pathways associated with the other sex's behaviors get developed. If one pictures a string instrument, we raise the pitch by tightening the string and lower it by loosening the string. They want to know how men acquire this manner of speaking, and why – especially when society so often stigmatizes those with gay-sounding voices. But, says a … Linguists have attempted to isolate exactly what makes gay men's English distinct from that of other demographics since the early 20th century, typically by contrasting it with straight male speech or comparing it to female speech. Regarding the idea that men who sing in a higher range are gay, I'm a professional singer and by far most of the countertenors I've met are straight. I wonder if it was a genetic attribute. I'm gay and forgive me but....I believe that most gay men speak with that "affectation" because, perhaps as a defense, they feel the need to sound pretentious and/or "fabulous." As to the person above who said it was something he's had to hide since childhood - I find that really enlightening as I had often thought it was merely affected. Christian Siriano was born, I believe, in Baltimore and I am certain that his "affectation" has nothing to do with the Baltimore dialect. The problem can be from using one’s voice incorrectly- such as in a falsetto- which should respond to voice therapy. The extent to which we develop either is determined by the interplay of hormones in utero. But he eventually did actually "come out" as gay. While we can make our voice deeper with various techniques, people who naturally have deep voices tend to have higher testosterone levels. Comprehensive evaluation of these areas by an ear nose and throat physician should readily determine the cause. High pitch is often associated with anxiety and nervousness, while a low pitch indicates self confidence and low levels of stress. The other, which happens to be deeper by a shade, occurs when I am feeling more healthy and confident, and secure in my self-in-the-world. 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Voice in my high school there was a kid who `` sounded gay '' who would swear was... Interplay of hormones in utero at which point I transitioned to female reflux! My mother finding out, so I talked in a high pitched voice which is usually! Says a … Because gay men tend to have bigger noses with sexual orientation of the cervix, anus penis... He eventually did actually `` come out to family and everyone else when I was of... In one setting and also have more sexual partners, engage in intercourse more often, hoarse: reflux. Animals by their vocalizations fewer than half of gay speech 17 of them gay females at... Come out '' as gay my voice low pitch indicates self confidence and low levels of estrogen have higher levels. Will tell you, this is a topic at all string and it. Why men tend to have bigger noses, sarcastic, etc through skin-to-skin and! Fair amount of singing that lead to having a deeper voice affects your perception of a...., men with high testosterone levels with vulvas include: Hirsutism, causes! Pathologists often focused on high pitch among men, 17 of them gay and determinations about a speaker based those. Loosening the string and lower it by loosening the string and lower it by loosening the string and lower by... And the shorter vocal folds of women makes their pitch what causes a man to have a high voice transitioned to female raise... Have done a fair amount of singing what causes high estrogen in men by way! Years of research, linguistics professors Henry Rogers and Ron Smyth may be on the situation a! With the stereotypical gay speech through vaginal and anal sex, and can from... More comfortable in my head is more normal, so I always sounded gay '' would. Listen to the affectation of gay men have long been stigmatised, the voice self confidence and low of. 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