Terminology

We've all heard of gaydar, yes? It's the keen perception that allows one to judge whether another is gay or straight, based on appearance. The last few months, it seems my gaydar is broken. Maybe I'm getting older and losing touch with the new class of gays. Or maybe, it's because the line is becoming increasing blurred between heterosexual and homosexual dudes. Here's some new terminology that I've recently become familiar with, courtesy of Details, that will keep you in-the-know, and the categories clear:

Bromance - a reciprocated mancrush between two heterosexual guys; term made famous by the movie Superbad; when you say to your best friend, "I'm not gay dude. But if I was, you'd be the one"; famous bromances include Matt Damon & Ben Affleck, Geeorge Clooney & Brad Pitt, Matthew McConaughey & Lance Armstrong

Stray - a heterosexual guy who is consistently mistaken as gay; blame it on the appearance, the mannerisms, the speech, whatever else; the stray guy is 100% straight, no doubt about it (not to be confused with guys on the downlow, who call themselves straight but actually sleep with other dudes); famous strays include Ryan Seacrest and Kenny Chesney

Straymance - my own term; the requited mancrush between a straight dude and a gay dude; a purely platonic relationship; the inter-sexual version of the bromance

Who knew there were new categories emerging to make the once-unmistakable now very-mistakable? Eh, I guess you live and learn. And there's probably some lesson to be learned here about stereotyping, but I'll let you (and me) read between the lines to figure it out.