A glamorous Versace ad is so fetchingly fey that the male model looks more feminine than the female. Two men in a double-page spread for Gucci wear deep pink lipstick and shirts unbuttoned to the lower half of their chest. Male fashion has always appealed to male vanity but masculinity was once the measure of man. Walk up to any cosmetic counter and you'll find almost as many jars of ointments for men as for women. He's grown accustomed to the glowing skin.
Homosexual influence expands beyond fashion and cosmetics.
The professor promises to teach his students to learn how certain works are essential parts of the gay male lifestyle. A quick look at the Academy Award nominations tells why the Advocate, the national gay and lesbian newsmagazine, is so thrilled with the Oscar possibilities. American Beauty,'' a strong contender for best picture, is written by a homosexual and dramatizes a hideous heterosexual marriage. The movie celebrates a nice boy-boy couple next door and rages against a stereotypical military homophobe. Manliness, no longer defined by rugged work, descends into decoration.