The gay hand as a derogatory term used against the queer community is long ingrained within society. While shows have used the gesture for comedic gain, the question is asked as to whether or not TV is actually tying the LGBTQ+ community to these stereotypes? We can see during Homer’s conversation with Marge about their friend John, the character uses the limp wrist gesture to describe homosexuals, saying that he likes them “flaming”. In an episode of The Simpsons aired in 1997, titled ‘Homer’s Phobia,’ we see Homer grapple with the fact that his friend is a homosexual. While the ‘gay hand’ is not portrayed quite as often in present mainstream entertainment, it has definitely popped up in the past on TV shows. Queer stereotypes are rife within the media, with many still used in film and television today. Men with limp wrists were then looked on as acting feminine. As tight dresses were popular in women’s fashion in previous centuries, cuffs were quite restrictive and therefore a flapping wrist became associated with effeminacy. In a historical context, it has been suggested that having a limp wrist was effeminate. A ‘limp wrist’ or the concept of the ‘gay hand’ has long been associated with male homosexuality, so the question is when, where, or how did it become a queer stereotype?
