Why is Esquire magazine, ostensibly the journal of "Man at his Best," so shy about gay issues? Survey the magazine racks of late and you'll see Rolling Stone posting the headline "Fear and Hate: Bush vs. Gays." Time recently did a cover story about gay teenagers, and People Magazine routinely covers story of gay interest.

What does the July issue of Esquire have to say about gay men? Given that the cover trumpets that it is their “State of the American Man” issue, it's hard not to imagine there wouldn't be some gay content. After all, gay men are as American as their straight counterparts, aren't they?

Well, not the way Esquire presents it.

The issue consists of numerous articles about a diverse group of men ranging from American Idol's Ryan Seacrest, to convicted Islamic terrorist John Walker Lindh, to an eleven-year-old boy enlightening readers about “What I've Learned,” (He likes Duke University and loathes Lindsay Lohan.)

Then there is Esquire's survey of American men consisting of a series of questions designed to give a snapshot of the average American male in 2006. Thus, we learn how many men voted for Bush in 2004 versus how many would vote for him today. (Fifteen percent fewer would vote for him now.) The survey reveals that 75% of men say they have never cheated on their "spouse or significant other," while of the 25% who do fess up to extracurricular fun, almost half say that the quality they most admire in a life's partner is faithfulness. The rest of the questions go on in a similar vein.

Given that same-sex marriage is such a hot button topic this election year with Republicans trying to amend the Constitution, it doesn't seem unreasonable that Esquire might have wondered what their readers thought of that topic. They didn't.

Or since Esquire is so curious about marital fidelity, number of sex partners, and the age readers lost their virginity, they could have asked if their readers have ever “hopped the fence,” or even felt attracted to another man.

Nothing so bold appears in the pages of this month's issue. In fact, the only remotely gay question included in the survey is whether readers saw Brokeback Mountain. (Thirteen percent did and another thirty percent plan to.)

It's all interesting, engaging stuff, but why are there no questions about gay men, much less specifically for gay men? (Does Esquire think gay men don't read their magazine?) In fact, the only two mentions of queerness occur when someone suggests Ryan Seacrest is gay and, in a section very briefly profiling a twenty-five year old from each state, where one participant identifies as gay.

Meanwhile, female golfers get a four-page article devoted to them.

It's true that Esquire falls into that certain niche of magazines that boast glossy color pix of pretty people in nice clothes which audiences of all sexual persuasions and orientations can gaze upon with pleasure. And, yes, it's understandable why they discuss “The Sexiest Woman Alive.” After all, the editors must serve their market by clinging to a middle patch of asphalt on America 's political and social highway.

Page 1 / 2 / 3 - Next