The Old Man Out: An Intergroup Analysis of Intergenerational Communication Among Gay Men

Abstract

Many writers have examined the appearance-oriented nature of gay culture. Complementarily, scholars have explored some of the socio-psychological experiences of younger, as well as older, gay men. However, research and theory have not examined communication issues and problems at the intersection of these research domains. Our analysis represents the first systematic attempt to address communication between younger and older gay men in terms of social identity theory and related constructs (such as social comparison and the “black sheep effect”) and in light of younger gay men's fears of growing older in a gay culture that places an excessively high value on physical appearance. In line with social identity theory, we suggest that some discrimination against older gay men may be, in part, a social creativity strategy invoked to communicatively enhance compromised self- or sexual-orientation social esteem.