We already know gay men are brimming with brawn and beauty. Now, we can definitively add brains to that list. We are officially triple threats!
A study published by sociologist and author Joel Mittleman from the University of Notre Dame indicates that gay men earned higher GPAs, took more challenging classes, and still ended up with a scholastic edge over others.
We’re not saying that queer guys are smarter than everybody else… That’s just what the research empirically shows.
A Closer Look at the Data
This research was made possible by Obama-era changes to nationwide data collection, which began including factors like sexual orientation to better understand the LGBTQ+ community’s impact in America. Sexual orientation was added to surveys about drug use, income, health, and crime victimization.
There’s a benefit to understanding that queer men may be brighter. Mittleman believes gay men would be smart to recognize each other’s brain power.
“If America’s gay men … formed their own country, it would be the world’s most highly educated by far,” Mittleman wrote in the Washington Post.
More than half of the gay men surveyed earned a college degree, while that statistic sat at 35% for straight men.
Around 6% of gay men have a Ph.D, J.D. or M.D., which is about 50% higher than the rate for heterosexual men. So.Gay has previously spoken to gay doctors, like Dr. Leo Moore, who are giving back to the community by educating people about health.
Gay men were even found to have a higher college graduation rate than straight women. Further, lesbian women are more likely to graduate from college than straight women, but only if they are White.
Gay academic prowess is evident even before college. In high school, gay males earned higher GPAs and reportedly enrolled in more difficult classes. Those interviewed took school more seriously, had more academically focused friends, and had a much lower rate of dropping out for a month or more.
Reasons Why Gays Are So Smart
Some social scientists believe that straight men focus on being the opposite of the “Good Girl” archetype, someone who gets great grades and leads with their smarts. This allows gay men, who are less distracted by girls or influenced by those societal pressures, to reach new academic heights.
Another explanation for academic achievement among gay men may be the “Best Little Boy in the World” phenomenon, in which queer people prioritize accomplishment to counter internalized homophobia. If they cannot be number one on the football field, they strive for success academically.
There are reasons to suspect the opposite could be true. As a minority community, LGBTQ+ students may experience higher levels of stress compared to cisgender, heterosexual students.
Troubled childhoods are often discussed within the queer community, and these challenges can negatively impact education. However, the evidence supporting the academic success of gay men suggests those stressful times may have contributed to their achievements.
Colleges also serve as safe spaces for gay teenagers looking to leave the nest. There could be a motivation to leave toxic hometowns and find space in a university. Whatever the reason, the science is clear: gay men are more scholastically inclined, and there’s evidence to support it. Hopefully, the community can embrace this aspect of ourselves and navigate our intelligence with grace.
Gather your favorite group of gay friends and hit up a trivia night. I’m sure your collective knowledge, coupled with knowing it’s empirically supported, can get you to first place.
Let’s just hope one of the categories in play is about “RuPaul’s Drag Race” History.
