Some Men Think That Recycling Makes Them Look Gay

More than likely you’ve heard the phrase “reduce, reuse, and recycle” at least once in your life. It’s pretty good advice – you can definitely reuse many things that you would otherwise throw out and you can recycle the things you can’t reuse to reduce waste which leads to a healthier and cleaner environment. Although these are all definite positives, some men think that if they recycle that others will think of them as gay, according to Out.

This interesting fact was found in a study that showed that pro-environmental attitudes are seen as feminine and, as such, some men believe that doing something that is perceived as feminine will call into question their heterosexual identities. So what are these activities that are perceived as feminine? Using reusable shopping bags while shopping for groceries and recycling were among the most popular seemingly feminine activities and if men did these things they are “perceived as being more likely to have positive feminine than positive masculine traits” and, with that seen as less manly which, of course,is where the “looking gay” thing comes from. 

Because heterosexuality is important to some people, some men will completely avoid anything that would make them seem like they have a feminine side and while femininity does not equate to homosexuality, enough people believe that if a man acts feminine he must be gay, which of course isn’t true. There are feminine straight men and masculine gay men. The only thing that makes someone gay is an exclusive attraction to the same sex, not reusing bags or recycling. 

Look, I won’t make fun of someone for being insecure about something because insecurity is something we all struggle with in one way or another. Instead, I think that it’s important that we break the stigma of recycling being seen as a feminine activity. Come to think of it, we should also strive to dispell the myth of “if you’re a feminine man you’re a gay man.” That way maybe men will be able to get in touch with their feminine side and not be afraid to recycle.

Helping the environment is just a bonus. 

Source: Out