On any given night at any gay bar in America, you’re likely to hear men being referred to as “she” and “bitch” on a loop. But what would it sound like if gay guys were forced to butch up their nicknames?
Comedian Michael Henry is challenging gay men’s use of female pronouns in his latest sketch, which finds him admitting to friends Pete Zias and Michael Lucid that he no longer wishes to be referred to as a “she.”
“I have sex with men and I love my femme side. I love being in touch with it,” Henry says in the clip. “But as a man, how am I supposed to feel sexual with other men when all my friends keep referring to me as a female?”
Zias and Lucid are not here for the change, however, and accuse their friend of suffering from “fragile masculinity.”
The sketch presents two interesting sides on the topic, with Henry representing those who want to embrace their masculinity while the others explain that using female pronouns helps in “showing your sisterhood” and solidarity within the LGBT community.
Add to that the problematic issue that words like “bitch” can often be considered a form of gay misogyny, and we have quite an interesting debate on our hands. When it comes to using female pronouns and nicknames with your gay friends, where do you stand?