Getz and Johnson break down what they feel are the most popular gay stereotypes and inform the straight world that not every gay man is white, has abs for days and/or watches “Drag Race.” But in this, the year of our Lord 2024, don’t most of us have gay friends and already know this? Oh, well I guess some people are still Republicans (I kid, I kid, it’s a joke!)

There are seventeen “types” here, including, “you watch ‘Golden Girls,’” “you probably love musicals,” “you’re probably a slut,” and more…all your old standards. There is a lot of science and data included. The book makes you not love Saint Augustine (the Saint, not the city.). That’s pretty much it. It’s a more in-depth look than I expected. Three stars.

As someone who has been called “not really gay,” “not culturally gay,” and various terms to that effect, I figured I had to read this. The authors step through a series of gay stereotypes, some of which were news to me, and have done their homework to determine whether those stereotypes are true, false, or somewhere in between. They also give helpful reminders on how to think about statistics and, at least as importantly, how not to think about them. They make a point that I feel like printing onto expensive paper and framing: “There is no wrong way to be gay.” As an aside, I found it amusing that my answer to one of the questions earned me a negative gay point.

I really like the layout of this book, as it makes it easy to dip in and out of reading. It's well researched and well written. I'd recommend this to anyone because there's never enough LGBTQIA+ resources out there.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC