The gay lisp

[Dominic]

it does seem to be a mix between "nurture vs. nature." I, too, know straight men who talk like this, as well as plenty of gay men who don't.

It does seem to me to be a way of "belonging" to a community of some sort for some of the more flamboyantly lisping gay men. Obviously then, it's an affectation for these people.

but what about the straight or gay men in middle America who talk like this, without having access to a socially acceptable "gay" community/bar/whatever? Where does this speech patter come from?

I think it's pretty perplexing, but those article you linked were interesting.

[Mickey Brausch]

The gay style, whatever that is, eventually becomes like the black style, whatever that is, in terms of getting adopted by some forward-thinking or simply by some flashier parts of society.

Outré and stylistic affectations of the minorities, in general, are to be aspired for, in certain circles of the majority, but only when such stylistic affectations are mostly devoid of much significance. When you see gold-plated razors hung around the necks of ivy league girls, punk style is dead. (And we all have that inclination, to be honest; just to varying extent.)

Mickey Brauth