Why are so many queer spaces obsessed with being "man enough"? In this spicy and soulful episode of Chai Me A River, Shane unpacks hypermasculinity in gay culture from masc4masc and muscle gays at the pool party, to how brown queer men navigate toxic masculinity, internalized homophobia, and racialized desire. We get into dating app tropes, gym culture, emotional repression, and the fear behind the façade. If you’ve ever been told to “act straight,” “be a man,” or felt invisible for being too femme, too brown, or too soft, this one's for you.

🎧 Topics: gay dating culture, queer masculinity, toxic masculinity, masc4masc, body image, internalized homophobia, queer POC identity, South Asian queer experience, muscle gays, emotional vulnerability, queer friendship dynamics.

Articles referenced:

Taking Off the Masc - Harvard Policy Review.