Looksmaxxer says being called ‘gay’ is ‘a compliment’ as it means you ‘look better than average’
Looksmaxxing influencer Dillon Latham (Image: Instagram/Dillonxlatham)
A looksmaxxer influencer has gone viral after saying being called “gay” is “a compliment”, arguing it is often shorthand for looking “better than average” in terms of grooming and attractiveness.
In the viral clip, Dillon Latham responds after being called gay, saying: “I just think it’s really funny that ‘gay’ is used as an insult, because I am not insulted by it whatsoever,” before adding: “I literally take it as a compliment.”
Latham then explains his reasoning by claiming “the gay dating market is a lot more competitive”, adding: “So the average person, when they say ‘you look gay,’ [it] means that they’re saying that you look better than average.”
The remarks have prompted discussion about what, exactly, people mean when they associate “looking gay” with being well-groomed, stylish, or physically fit, and how that idea leans on long-running stereotypes about gay men and appearance.
The conversation has also overlapped with a broader argument about a “new homophobia” linked to looksmaxxing discourse. In a piece for The Atlantic, Spencer Kornhaber wrote: “The irony is that a minority once viewed as filled with sissies and losers is now portrayed as filled with bullies and power brokers, and straight people, especially men, seem to perceive themselves as the weak and afraid ones.”
Looksmaxxing and gay beauty stereotypes
Looksmaxxing is an online self-improvement subculture focused on maximising perceived attractiveness through grooming, fitness and sometimes extreme or pseudoscientific practices. The term is widely associated with adjacent manosphere and incel spaces, where appearance and sexual “market value” are often discussed in competitive, hierarchical terms.
In mainstream culture, gay male dating is frequently stereotyped as more appearance-driven, though experiences vary widely by geography, age, race, body type and community. In the wake of Latham’s comments, people online have continued to argue over whether his “gay dating market” claim reflects reality, or a narrow view of gay dating and desirability.
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