Track 3: All-American

What does it mean to be "All-American"? Am I All-American? What are the qualifications?

I ask in response to gay personal ads where men describe themselves as "All-American." It led me to ask myself "what does it mean to be "All-American?" All of these men that use this qualifier are white muscular men, generally blond and brunette. And because of the number of responses and the variety in those replies, The way its portrayed in these ads don't have a universal meaning. All-American can be for a collegiate athlete, something I'm sure most of these men are not.

It's funny that All-American is also included with the phrase "Straight acting." Why do gays still hate on themselves? First off, what does straight-acting even mean? That you drink Bud Lite, like monster truck rallies, and wear unflattering clothes? In that case I'm not straight acting at all! And proud of it too.

I think that many gay men still have a inferiority complex. They have internalized heterosexual supremacy. They think that gay is still wrong and they have to be as close to "straight" as possible, whatever that means. Which is funny, seeing as how there isn't even a real way that most straight men act. It's problematic and I don't see it going away, seeing as how a good 70% of gay men wear Abercrombie and Fitch, quite possibly the biggest label of idealized whiteness that continues to perpetuate that idea.