The mustache has traversed centuries, evolving from a symbol of prestige in ancient civilizations to a statement of rebellion in modern counterculture movements. In the 1960s and 1970s, it became an iconic symbol within the gay community, representing a form of self-expression, solidarity, and defiance against societal norms surrounding masculinity and sexuality.
In this episode, we’re taking a look at the multifaceted history of the mustache, exploring its evolution as a symbol of masculinity, its significant sociosexual ties to the gay community in the 1960s and 1970s, and how it has created important conversations about men's health today.
Additional Resources:
The mustache has traversed centuries, evolving from a symbol of prestige in ancient civilizations to a statement of rebellion in modern counterculture movements. In the 1960s and 1970s, it became an iconic symbol within the gay community, representing a form of self-expression, solidarity, and defiance against societal norms surrounding masculinity and sexuality.
In this episode, we’re taking a look at the multifaceted history of the mustache, exploring its evolution as a symbol of masculinity, its significant sociosexual ties to the gay community in the 1960s and 1970s, and how it has created important conversations about men's health today.
Additional Resources:
Snarky Opener (0:00)
I mustache you a question. Does the stache make me look gay?
Episode Introduction (0:23)
Hello, my LGBTQuties, and welcome back to another episode of A Jaded Gay. I'm Rob Loveless, and today I am a non-jaded gay because I am finally drinking tea again and it is soothing my soul.
So, I'm a big tea drinker. Well, first off, let me backtrack. I think I've said this before, but I am literally an 80-year-old man. Like, I usually eat dinner at five o'clock. I'm usually in bed by eight o'clock on weeknights. I get up early for the gym so that's part of the reason, but yeah.
Still in bed by eight, usually falling asleep on the couch by 7:30. And I'm usually doing that with a glass of tea in hand.
But I haven't drank tea since, like, February because I can't drink tea in the hot weather. And as I was preparing for my move from Pittsburgh to Philly, I think in like February or March, I ran out of tea and I'm like, well, I'm not going to buy it since by the time I get to Philly, it's going to be warm out because April is going to be spring. And it'll be hot and I won't be drinking tea.
Turns out April and May were super cold and dreary. But yeah, I just didn't drink tea because I can't drink tea in the hot weather. It's like too much for me. I don't know sensory overload. Same reason I don't eat soup during the summer.
But it finally cooled off. I mean October, there were still some hot days in there where it was like too much. I was in shorts and t-shirt. But now it has finally cooled off. It's getting darker out earlier. I love it. I'm feeling so cozy. I'm drinking my white tea every day. I feel, you know, super healthy, because on top of just, you know, the heat of the tea, soothing your soul, it also has antioxidants. So, I'm doing something good for my body.
Of course, I'm drinking it with a straw because I don't want to stain my teeth. And I've even gone so far as to get some chamomile tea so I can drink that at night because there's no caffeine and it's supposed to help you sleep. Not that I have that problem. Like I said I'm falling asleep on the couch at 7:30.
But tea season has arrived and I am thriving. Well. Okay, that's an exaggeration. Let's not go as far as thriving. But I am happy to be drinking tea again.
Are Mustaches Gay? (2:13)
Anyway, from drinking something that warms you up to growing something that's going to warm your upper lip. Today we are talking about mustaches.
As I'm sure you all know, November is also known as Movember. So, you know what that means? You're gonna start seeing the staches all over the place. And honestly, it kind of feels like the stache has come back into style over the past few years.
And that being said, I've always heard a stereotype that mustaches are gay. And I always wondered where that came from. So, I thought we'd dive into that today.
But first, let's pull our tarot card.
Tarot (2:44)
So, the card for this episode is the Four of Wands in reverse. Now, Wands is tied to the element of fire, which is representative of creativity, passion, ambition, and sometimes sexuality. It's masculine energy, so it's very action-oriented.
And in numerology, four is tied to structure, stability, and our foundation.
Now, this card is sometimes known as the wedding card because, in traditional depictions of it, you see what looks like a man and a woman standing at an altar underneath four wands with flowers over it. And fittingly enough, this card is all about celebration and special events.
But when we draw this card in reverse, it's indicating that we may be resistant to the celebration. So, it's really reminding us that we need to find ways to bring joy back into the present moment. And we should be asking ourselves why we're feeling resistant to our accomplishments that we should be celebrating.
And, you know, maybe we don't want to proclaim our achievement to the world and prefer to celebrate privately. And that's okay, too. Just as long as we are recognizing ourselves for the hard work we're putting in.
And tying this to the card's theme of stability, it can also represent a balance of inner peace and harmony, which is definitely worth celebrating. Or on the flip side, it could be calling to attention a lack of harmony or communication in our relationships with others.
So, we really need to assess where we're at. And if it's the latter, then we need to prepare for a period of transition which may include some discomfort as we work toward that inner peace and harmony.
Mustache or Moustache? (4:09)
And with that being said, let's start off with a spelling and vocabulary lesson. So, I'm a writer, but truthfully, I always got tripped up on the spelling of mustache.
Anyway, in the United States, it's typically spelled M-U-S-T-A-C-H-E. And then in the UK, you add an O to it. So, M-O-U-S-T-A-C-H-E. So, they're both correct spellings.
And, as you know, a mustache is the hair growing on the human upper lip. And usually, it refers to the upper lip hair grown and often trimmed in a particular style.
Now, there's also the term mustachio. And again, you can spell that both ways with just the U or the O-U. And again, the spelling of that depends on the region you're in. But this refers to a large mustache.
The History of Mustaches (4:49)
Anyway, let's turn to the history of the mustache. So, shaving with stone razors goes as far back as the Neolithic times, and that's a period of time from 10,000 BC to 2200 BC.
Now, while there is no official origin story for the mustache, one of the earliest depictions of it goes back to ancient Egypt. Circa 2500 BC, a statue of the Fourth Dynasty Egyptian prince Rahotep is depicted with him sporting a stache.
According to the American Research Center in Egypt, mustaches were popular during the Old Kingdom, but can't be seen on most statues from that time since it was usually painted on and the paint usually did not survive.
So, now bear with me, we're going to time jump a bit. According to a 2014 BBC article titled The Moustache: A Hairy History, England's medieval knights had armor made to accommodate their lustrous mustaches.
Also in the 14th century, Edward Prince of Wales was commemorated by an effigy on his tomb in Canterbury Cathedral, which shows him in full battle dress, with chainmail encasing his face and neck, but allowing his long whiskers to flow over the top.
However, the mustache as a fashion symbol really came into style in England following the Elizabethan era. Then, during the late 17th century, beards fell spectacularly out of fashion in Europe, helped in Russia by Tsar Peter the Great's quote-unquote beard tax. And as a result, mustaches flourished.
And a beard tax is literally what it sounds like. I was really curious about this. So, I looked into it, and it's a whole long story, but in a nutshell, in 1705, Russian Tsar Peter the Great instituted attacks on beards as part of his plan to modernize and westernize his backward country.
Now, peasants and clerics were exempt, but everyone else who wanted to wear a beard had to pay an annual fee and carry a medal as proof of payment. And for nobility and merchants, the tax could be as high as 100 rubles annually, and for commoners, it was much lower, as little as one kopek.
Anyway, back to the stache. According to The Gentleman's Journal, which is a leading men's luxury lifestyle publication, in the 18th century, mustaches were seen to signify soldiers and were commonly used to tell the difference between military men and civilians.
Then, in the early 1800s, mustaches were flamboyant, curled, and often carefully sculpted to link up with excessive sideburns. Then, in 1854, the beard came back in style during the Crimean War. When the war ended in 1856, soldiers came home barely recognizable behind their big, bushy beards. And so, beards became synonymous with heroes, and British men started growing their facial hair out once again.
But then, by the end of the 19th century, beards went out of style because there were newspaper reports linking germs with beards. In fact, throughout Europe and North America, new rules were made to prevent bearded men from handling food, and bearded hospital patients began to be shaved whether they wanted to or not. Also, during World War I, gas masks wouldn't fit over facial hair, so more men opted to be clean-shaven.
Then, in 1920, Agatha Christie published her first crime novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, which introduced Hercule Poirot and his famous mustaches. Around that time, Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, and Ronald Colman also supported mustaches. So, they did start coming back in style.
But then, from 1929 to 1939, the Great Depression hit and mustaches fell out of style. And I think that was because the clean-shaven look was considered more professional. In fact, in 1932, WC Graham published How to Get a Job During a Depression and wrote, "Shave off that mustache if you're looking for a job. A mustache may help in getting a job as a ‘gigolo’ or sheik, but there are practically no openings for them during a depression."
Then, from 1939 to 1945, we have World War II, and toothbrush-style mustaches fell out of fashion because of Hitler. But a new style of facial hair emerged. And that was the handlebar mustache, which was the style that fighter pilots donned, who were considered the bravest heroes in the war.
Then, in the 60s and 70s, we see the resurgence of mustaches' popularity among Hollywood with people like Burt Reynolds and Tom Selleck. And there was an element of sexual appeal to these.
Modern Resurgence (8:52)
But then it fell out of style by the end of the 1900s but started coming back in style in 2003 when Movember was founded to address men's health issues. And here's an excerpt about them from the Movember website:
"Men's health is in crisis. Men are dying on average 4.5 years earlier than women and for largely preventable reasons. A growing number of men, around 10.8 million globally, are facing life with a prostate cancer diagnosis. Globally, testicular cancer is the most common cancer among young men. And across the world, one man dies by suicide every minute of every day, with males accounting for 69% of all suicides. Movember is uniquely placed to address this crisis on a global scale. We fund groundbreaking projects all over the world, engaging men where they are to understand what works best and accelerate change."
And it seems like every year, the number of men participating in this and sporting stashes increases, and we'll circle back to Movember in a bit.
Why Are Mustaches Gay? (9:48)
But with all that background in history, let's ask the question, are mustaches gay? Now, I must say I was surprised because when I was researching this topic, I literally googled that phrase, are mustaches gay? And there were a ton of results.
And on the surface level, when Reddit users asked, "why are mustaches gay?" across the board, the top answer was Freddie Mercury. But the real answer is a little more complex than that.
Flamboyant & Flirty (10:13)
So, for starters, in most of the history I read about mustaches, from both the BBC article and The Gentleman's Journal article, it was noted that there was an element of flamboyance and flirtiness to a mustache. Essentially, it was masculine but playful.
But a lot of the gay associations with mustaches surfaced in the 1960s and 70s. And, like I mentioned earlier, during this time, there was a general resurgence in the stache, and there was a sexual appeal to it. And so, there was a sense of sexual freedom associated with the mustache.
But there were also some gendered norms assigned to mustaches.
Masculinity (10:48)
According to a 2020 Esquire article titled The Mustache is Thriving. But What Does It Mean? throughout the history of the mustache, it has represented masculinity or lack thereof.
Here's a quote regarding what it represented in the 1960s and 70s:
"A mustache became a way to assert one's free past, but also to fit in. It became both a symbol of an older school, tough guy virility, see Burt Reynolds and Charles Bronson, as well as a refined way to express new sensitivities and creative personas, Sonny Bono and Stan Lee."
Socio-Political Elements (11:19)
Now, interestingly enough, there were also some socio-political ties to the stache. Around this time, the mustache represented the Average Joe or the blue-collar worker.
So, it aligned to the status quo, such as firemen or cops, and this was due to fire department regulations and local ordinances forbidding beards because they interfered with protective masks.
Also, as noted in a 2022 El Pais article, the mustache had different political meanings globally. Here's a quote:
"In Spain, we associate it with right-wing men with a certain military order. But overseas, this wasn't the case. Think about France of Jean Rochefort, who had a very cool stache, or Dennis Hopper in the US, a symbol of libertarianism. That scruffy mustache was not only sexy, it was left wing."
Nonconformity & Sexual Deviancy (12:05)
And in April 2019, Christopher Oldstone-Moore, author of the book Of Beards and Men and an expert on gender, masculinity, and hair, sat down with The Cut for their article titled Cruisin' with the Mustache Crew.
In it, he explained that around the 1960s, mustaches were seen as quote-unquote a form of rebellion against authority, particularly military masculinity.
Now, as we talked about, the mustache does have roots in the military in order for men to look fierce and intimidating. But during this time, armies around the world began to lose the stache, so wearing one became a sign of nonconformity.
And it was also tied with swingers and porn stars, so the stache was also associated with sexual deviancy.
An Exaggeration of the Hyper-masculine Aesthetic (12:45)
So, with all that being said, the sense of sexual freedom and deviancy, the socio-political ties, and the representation of the working man, the mustache became an exaggeration of the hyper-masculine aesthetic that reigned during that decade, and gay men ended up appropriating it.
In fact, in a 2006 New York Times article, Arnie Kantrowitz, a retired college professor in Manhattan who was featured in the 2005 documentary Gay Sex in the '70s, joked that having a mustache was a requirement in the gay community. Here's a quote:
"You needed a flannel shirt, mustache or beard, bomber jacket, jeans and boots. We were dressing like the blue-collar men that turned us on."
The Castro Clones (13:24)
And several of these articles mentioned the term Castro Clone, which I had never heard of before. But when I looked it up, I found it's LGBTQ+ slang for a gay man who appears in dress and style as an idealized working-class man, cough cough The Village People.
And this name and image came from the Castro neighborhood in San Francisco, which was a gayborhood during the late 70s. And that Castro Clone style was what Kantrowitz detailed in his quote.
And there's a whole history about that term, so maybe I'll do a future episode on that.
The Gay Liberation Movement (13:53)
But back to staches and the gays. Another factor we have to remember is that the resurgence of the mustache's popularity also aligned with the time of the gay liberation movement. Remember, we had the Stonewall Riots in 1969, which helped launch that movement into the mainstream.
So, obviously, mustaches themselves are not gay, and sporting a stache does not make you gay. But historically, there is a socio-sexual association between gay men and mustaches during the gay liberation movement.
And as this association grew, obviously, fragile straight men decided to nix theirs so they wouldn't be viewed as gay.
The AIDS Crisis (14:27)
Also, during the AIDS crisis in the '80s, the Castro Clones were vilified. You know, because during that time, most people associated gay men as having HIV or AIDS. So, the mustache kind of fell out of style again.
And going back to that New York Times article, they state that gay men began shaving off their facial hair and body hair because men wanted to look more youthful, meaning healthy. And then the 1990s saw a more clean-cut appearance, along with some goatees, thank you boy bands.
Today’s Mustache (14:54)
But regarding the socio-sexual ties associated with mustaches, that Esquire article we talked about previously asserts that the mustache returned in the early 2000s among hipsters with a bit of irony.
Dr. Allan Peterkin, author of One Thousand Mustaches: A Cultural History of the Mo, claims that following the metrosexual boom in the early aughts, young men are playing with being macho, even though they're not really macho.
He claims that this younger generation of men are freer now, and they don't have to worry about not getting hired because of facial hair. And they also don't care if their mustaches are associated as being sexual.
Also, I found this really interesting. The Esquire article says that facial hair experts argue that the mustache reappears at times when masculinity is under threat. And with this in mind, the author poses the question, what happens when masculinity is in a process of being redefined, as is gender?
So, here's the closing paragraph of that article:
"Today's mustaches might be caught in circles of irony that bite and play with centuries of attempted manliness, but at the same time, it's escaping the bristling tyranny that inspired it for so long. Contemporary masculinity has been redefined in so many ways with far-reaching implications. One of them is that nowadays, your mustache gets to be less of a signpost and more of a mustache than ever."
Fun Facts About Mustaches (16:11)
And with all that in mind, here are some fun facts about mustaches, which come from The Gentleman's Journal:
· So, for starters, the average mustache is made up of 600 hairs.
· A mustache also filters the air you breathe through your nose.
· And people with mustaches inadvertently touch it 700 times a day on average.
So, think about that.
Iconic Queer Mustaches (16:31)
And, of course, there are some iconic gay and bi mustaches from the ‘60s and ‘70s.
· First off, there's Armistead Maupin, author of Tales of the City.
· Glen Hughes from The Village People. I believe he was the Leatherman in that group.
· Marlon Brando, who was allegedly bisexual. He actually sported a thin stash in the 1963 movie The Ugly Americans.
We also have:
· Harvey Milk
· Rock Hudson
· Robert Reed
· And, of course, you can't forget about Freddie Mercury.
Movember (16:58)
So, there you have it, gay mustaches. But to close out the episode, I do want to circle back to Movember.
As we talked about, it was founded to address men's health issues. And here's how it works. For starters, anyone who wants to participate can register at Movember.com. And they must begin the first of November with a clean-shaven face.
Then, for the entire month of November, they must grow and groom a mustache, and beards, goatees, and fake mustaches are not allowed. Now, the purpose of this is to use the mustache as a means to create meaningful conversations and raise funds for men's health. And participants must conduct themselves as quote-unquote a true gentleman.
And then, your friends and family can search your name on the Donations page and donate on your behalf, or they can donate directly to Movember. You can also sign up for monthly donations, and companies can even do gift matching.
Now, I know Movember tends to be a little bro-ey, but consider participating or donating to it or donating to another organization that focuses on men's health. Because as we stated up front, there are certain health threats like heart disease, prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health struggles that uniquely affect men.
And as gay men, we face an additional layer of complexity when it comes to mental health struggles. So, it's really important that we're raising awareness around men's health, and specifically gay men's health.
So, get involved, donate, and grow a mustache because they're sexy. But also, it's for a good cause.
Episode Closing (18:24)
And yeah, connecting it back to the tarot, you know, we have the Four of Wands in reverse, which is really serving as a reminder to bring joy back into the present moment.
And as we talked about in this episode, the history of the mustache is long and far-reaching. Goes all the way back to ancient Egypt, and has different meanings of, you know, masculinity and then nonconformity.
But for gay men in the 1960s and 70s, it was very much associated with that Castro Clone image we talked about. And because of that association, unfortunately, the mustache kind of received labels for what it meant, and then did fall out of popularity during the AIDS crisis.
But as I mentioned, some of those articles talk about that now, the mustache has been adopted by hipsters and younger men with a bit of irony and that it doesn't carry as much meaning anymore. It's not going to prevent you from getting a job.
And a lot of guys who wear them don't really care if there's a sexual label attached to it because they're kind of just doing their own thing. And they feel freer in their appearance. And I think that's kind of nice that, you know, the mustache can kind of be a nod to flirtiness and a little bit of queerness.
But also, we're in an era where a mustache is a mustache. It's just part of your look. And whether you're sporting the stache because you think it looks good, or because you do kind of want to adopt that, you know, flirty and kind of queerness that was associated with it way back when. I think either way, it's bringing some joy into your appearance and your style, which you can appreciate in the moment.
And if you got a stache and like it, celebrate that. And obviously, like I said, more importantly, really the point of Movember is to bring awareness to general men's health, but especially as gay men, there are some additional health factors that impact us.
So even if you're not participating in the official Movember, maybe use this month as an opportunity to talk to your friends, family, allies about some health struggles, whether there are physical health or mental health that are unique to gay men.
And maybe find ways to donate. And you don't necessarily have to grow a mustache for that. Just maybe look for ways to have those conversations this month.
Connect with A Jaded Gay (20:11)
So, as always, thank you for listening. I hope you found this episode interesting. It was meant to be a little light-hearted, a little bit more fun. But also, yeah, I was just kind of curious about where that whole mustaches are gay came from.
Anyway, I'd love to hear your feedback about the episode in general, your thoughts on the mustache, and if you're sporting a stache, I'd love to see it. Especially if you're wearing some A Jaded Gay merch in that.
You know, I think that'd be a really nice picture, you in the branded A Jaded Gay gear sportin' your stache. And if you do that and send it to me, maybe you'll get featured on the podcast's Instagram.
You know the drill though, for all feedback, feel free to reach out to me rob@ajadedgay.com. Check out the website ajadedgay.com for more information on episodes, guests, and merchandise.
You can follow the podcast on Instagram, TikTok, SoundCloud, and YouTube @ajadedgaypod. You can follow me personally, Rob Loveless, on Instagram @rob_loveless.
Also, consider supporting the podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month. You get access to episodes a day early ad-free. Also comes with monthly bonus episodes, some fun goodies if you're in the $3 or $5 tier. And yeah, I just really appreciate the support.
And also, like I always say, if you have commitment issues, I understand and you could do a one-time donation, any dollar amount you want, on Buy Me a Coffee @ajadegaypod.
And remember, every day is all we have, so you got to make your own happiness.
Mmm-bye.
Outtake (21:52)
But first, let's pull our tarot card.
Ooh, did you hear that crack? Not sure if the mic picked that up, but that was my wrist, by the way.
These old crusty bones are just givin' out on me.