This study compared acoustic speech features — fundamental frequency (F0), fricative /s/ spectral moments, and vowel formants — between 35 gay and 25 straight Australian English-speaking men, and examined how these features relate to gender-nonconformity, masculinity, straight-acting identity, outness, and internalized homophobia among gay men.
Gay men showed gender-nonconforming greater F0 variation (SD) and higher /s/ center of gravity than straight men. Higher vowel formants (F2) indexed both gay identity (e.g., F2 /iː/ r=0.42, p<0.001) and less masculine/less straight-acting self-identification within gay men; no single speaker produced globally gender-nonconforming speech across all features.
Small sample (n=60 total; n=35 gay, n=25 straight) limits statistical power and generalizability. The study is restricted to one English variety (Australian English), so findings may not transfer to other accents. Psychological measures (e.g., straight-acting, internalized homophobia) relied on self-report.
Clinicians and researchers should recognize that 'gay-sounding' speech is not a uniform trait — it varies by individual masculinity and identity factors, not sexual orientation alone. Avoid overgeneralizing acoustic markers of gay identity across different English-speaking populations.
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