Sci Fi for the Gay-Gi?

By Alex Wiggan

Whether it’s taking a rocket ride to Uranus or just circling the outer rim, gay boys love sci-fi. Don’t think so? Well just check out half a dozen Fitlads profiles and you’ll see they’re all into it. So don’t worry about being ‘outed’ as a geek and becoming forever ignored at social gatherings with your closest biatches, because those who don’t love it are in the minority. In fact to be a fan of pointy-eared space-travellers is suddenly geek-chic, so set your phasers to fun because it seems there are plenty of reasons to be a sci-fi lover.
From Star Wars’ whiney cry-baby Anakin Skywalker to the camp-o-rama of Flash Gordon (1980), in the realm of science fiction and fantasy you’re never too far away from a bit of eye candy. You see, Anakin may have been moody but he always knew what to do with his lightsaber and let’s be honest, who didn’t get excited by seeing Flash in his leather shorts? But laser swords and tantalising torture scenes aside, surely gay guys aren’t just sci-fi and fantasy fans because of all those hunks… are they? Well checking out the latest piece of man-meat from another world (or often this one) is part of being human, yet when it comes down to it everyone likes a bit of fantasy. Often it’s a break from the norm and it certainly helps that the men of science-fiction are well turned out guys who seem to be able to balance saving the universe with a daily workout at the Gym. Just check out Dolph Lundgren’s oiled torso in Masters of The Universe (1987) which had more screen time than David Bowie’s crotch in Labyrinth (1986) and you’ll see why He-Man was able to catch a boy’s eye. Of course if a ‘himbo’ is not your thing then there are those lovely brothers Sam and Dean Winchester from hit TV show Supernatural to keep you company at night. They may be brothers but the writers of the show constantly joke around that they’re gay and as they’re both so fit this just increases their appeal. Let’s also not forget the stalwart of sci-fi, Star Trek, where Captain Jean-Luc Picard made reading a till receipt seem sexy and it’s hard to believe that not once did Will Riker suggest a nudie bunk-up in the lower decks of the Enterprise. Well you would, wouldn’t you? What with all of those boldly going blokes, plus topless vampires and werewolves in the Twilight saga, Clark Kent still flexing his muscles on Smallville and Robert Downey JR being so damn irresistible as Iron Man, it’s hard not to just see the world of science-fiction as a playground for sexual shenanigans.
There are however other reasons that sci-fi is so popular and one of these is the escapism element to the genre. Through science-fiction women have become empowered and although that might not automatically seem like the first thing to grab the attention of a gay guy, you’d be surprised. Some boys like to dress as women we all know this; but some just want to be their favourite heroines. Buffy, Xena, Wonder Woman, She-Ra and Seven of Nine are the sci-fi equivalent of the ballsy barmaids of Corrie and for that reason they are iconic legends in Gaysville. Come on admit it, you know you spun around like Wonder Woman and pretended you had a set of bullet bouncing bracelets and matching tiara when your mom wasn’t looking! Heck, even bad girls like Poison Ivy, Catwoman, The Rani and that slutty Cylon from Battlestar Galactica make a boy want to glam up and get down with his feminine side. Sod the Spice Girls these are the women men secretly want to be, because they can kick butt, do cartwheels and make boys do exactly what they want. Ok, so back in the day the Spice Girls could too, but this is Fantasy Land and so Catwoman will be able to do this forever without the need of a comeback tour and a union jack dress. She also had Batman wrapped around her little PVC covered finger and that’s power you just can’t buy.
Another reason that boys become transfixed by Sci-fi is due to the drama becoming scarily close to home on some occasions. Watching an episode of Angel is like looking in a mirror for some guys; if of course vampires could see their own reflection. The story of a single guy, always on the prowl, never settling down and becoming an insatiable animal after a drink could certainly ring a few bells with the Saturday night party boys. Then there’s the shock value of something like The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), a musical comedy that parodies science fiction and B-movies. The film resonates with the repressed guys who are just bursting to be free and who feel they can do so with just a jump to the left and then a step to the right. Loving Science-fiction is something that has become part of a gay guy’s life and is as much an accessory as Guyliner and an iPhone application. It’s fun, it’s sexy, it can speak volumes about who a person is deep down inside, but above all else it’s what all the gays are into nowadays! Beaming up with Kirk and Co might not be possible just yet, but the amount of love for the genre amongst the lads is definitely more fact than fiction.