Can’t get your gym crush’s attention? These two new studies may hold the answer why
still hasn’t given you the time of day (or asked for a spot at the benchpress), it might not be for lack of interest. According to a report from Psychopharmacology, it could just be the juice talkin’.Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.Gym crush just lifted up his shirt to wipe away sweat and it was everything I imagined pic.twitter.com/qIqqv9PrIaThe recent study based on 171 adult men found that those using anabolic-androgenic steroids –– typically for boosting testosterone and enhancing muscle mass –– are more likely to have trouble recognizing “facial emotional expressions.” Especially looks of anger and disgust. (Suddenly, so many cringeworthy gym moments make sense.)Researchers speculated that behavioral effects associated with steroid use, like “increased aggression, anxiety, depression, and personality disorders,” could even stem from the non-verbal impairment.So, maybe the 6’4″, perfectly-sculpted Adonis you’re admiring while perched on the stationary bikes can’t tell that you’re interested.Or, he’s just straight.
Gym crush asked me to spot him so I’m thinking about a spring wedding pic.twitter.com/fUX7gSO94CNevertheless, steroid usage in the LGBTQ+ community has grown over the years as a means of maintaining a certain physique.A 2017 study reported that 5.2% of gay and bisexual men in Australia were using the drugs.
Furthermore, a sizable 21.6% of gay and bi gym goers in San Francisco’s Castro District admitted to taking steroids at some point.And the reason why is often the same one that brings us to the gym in the first place: a desire to achieve society’s male beauty standards.“Most gay men are humiliated by cultural standards of masculinity,” psychotherapist Adam Blum of Gay Therapy Center told Them. “The worst thing about gay men in the eyes of the culture is that we often have more feminine qualities, so in some ways it makes total sense that.
