Study after study has found that gay men are less gender-conforming than straight men on average, meaning that they’re less likely to adhere to strict ideas of what boys and men are “supposed” to act like. This helps explain why “Masc4Masc” is such a common term on gay dating and hookup sites. This preference for masculinity is strongest among gay men who identify as masculine. Gay men also rate prospective partners who describe themselves as masculine more favorably than those who describe themselves as feminine. For example, gay men tend to be attracted to masculine-looking faces and to other signs of masculinity, such as muscularity. Research into the partner preferences of gay men suggests that, on average, they tend to be drawn to masculinity.
