Tolerence

[Torchwatch]

Something I have noticed in the gay community is the number of straight acting men there are about. They claim to dislike anyone that is effeminate or camp.
Someone on here recently said that although they wear a 3" sided racing swim brief for training, and they would compliment other swimmers for their physique or swimming style, they did not like to see men in their pool in briefer suits as those wearing the briefer suits were not really there to train.
The muscular Christianity of the 19th century tried to turn boys into men through playing rough team sports leaving no room for masturbation or homosexuality. What they actually achieved was to create straight acting gays that looked down on wimps.
The Japanese have shown us that serious swimmers and lifeguards can and do wear tiny bikini suits without appearing camp or wimpy. The difference between what they are wearing and the 3" racing suit is just a couple of inches of fabric and a slightly different cut.
Those who object to tight stretchy men's swim suits on "moral grounds" object to everything, jammers, squarecuts, 2-5" racing briefs, bikinis and thongs. To say that your racing suit is OK but someone else's bikini is inappropriate begs the question of exactly where the line is. It invites the inspectors with their rulers back on the beaches checking everyone out.
You should enjoy swimming training with your friends, admiring each other in your racing swim briefs, but you also should tolerate the guy that turns up in a 1" bikini looking a bit camp and wimpy but wanting to swim. It is most unlikely that anyone will show up in a swim thong, not for a few years anyway.

[dorcas3]

I agree-I have never seen anyone at my pools come with swimware that's out of line because of skimpyness as far as guys are concerned. I have seen tight brief suits on guys showing some "bulge" which we know is there anyway=they usually are by far the most serious and best swimmers. I have seen some young ladies in very very brief bikinis which make it difficult not to stare!

[SwimTeamSpeedo]

I think people get too hung up on swimwear. To be sure serious, swimmers often wear really brief suits, but some not so serious swimmers also wear brief cut suits, and they look good. I also see some really great swimmers who wear jammers, and while I don't like jammers I see no reason why they should not wear them. There is probably a point where a suit becomes too skimpy (thong, maybe), but I see nothing wrong with any guy in a brief, even with a narrow side. I also don't get too hung up that some really hot guys who would look damn good in a Speedo type suit choose to wear boardies. People should wear what they want. As for the bulge, well it's part of the package.

[California Dolphin]

Pardon me for being "Politically Incorrect", but here in San Francisco, I've found that the gay community is full of self loathing hypocrites. I'm sorry, but that's my interpretation of some of the attitudes I've come across.

For some reason (probably due to the outbreak of HIV and so many STDs), many gay men have come to hate themselves and everyone or everything else they see as a reflection of their sexual orientation.

As for their taboo about gays disliking men wearing speedos and short shorts, I guess they don't want to see anything that arouses their temptation. Same is true for mostly Str8 guys that have a "curiosity" about gay encounters, but dislike their closeted inclination.

In fact, I've visited a few of the bathhouses in the area, and it's well known that a lot of the patrons are in fact married or single Str8 guys. This is known because when the patrons open their wallet to pay the attendant at the entrance, they can see photos of the the guy with his wife and children -or a woman or girl friend.

I may not have revealed this on this board, I'm not really into gay sex (anything XXX at least), but I love (and I mean I get a boner) the look and feel of being in the pool or a hot tub in a speedo or butt naked. Therefore I feel it is more appropriate and comfrotable to be in a gay or erotic environment where I won't look or feel out of place.

CD

[Denverswim]

It seems that with respect to guys' swimwear (and many other things) the country has moved backwards during the past 20 or 30 years. A guy should be able to wear what he wants to a pool or beach and not have people make assumptions and judgements. People were way less hung up on this in the 70's and 80's from what I hear. We have an increasingly coarse and vulgar society in many respects but in others seem to be reverting to almost Victorian seeming prudery.