You may have heard the term "beard" used in a gay context and wondered what the hell that meant. "Art and Therese went out on a date last night, but we all know she's just a beard." No, it doesn't pertain to facial hair this time, although the term can be interpreted as some sort of a disguise. Just like how beards are used as a way to change an actor's physical appearance in the movies.
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The Urban Dictionary defines the word "beard" as follows"
- Any opposite sex escort taken to an event in an effort to give a homosexaul person the apperance of being out on a date with a person of the opposite sex.
- A man or woman used as a cover for a gay partner.
The negative connotation
Most of the time, the girl used as a beard does not know that she is a beard. As the term implies, the goal of using a beard is to deceive people; to make people think that you are not who you are. A gay guy usually wears a beard as an accessory when he needs to be seen in a public place. "Straight" guys, after all, need to be seen with a hot lady date when going out on dinner or going to the movies. It wouldn't be appropriate to be seen with another guy, right?
The accomplice beard
In some cases, the beard is a willing victim. She could be the girl best friend who wants to help out her desperate friend. She could be the desperate fag hag who would take every opportunity to "turn" her gay guy straight. Or she could be someone who also needs a beard of her own. In these cases, using a beard is not so bad. At least not for the parties directly involved.
Why do gay guys need beards?
A beard is usually required when a discreet gay guy wants to remain in the closet. At a certain point in time, being "single" raises a lot of questions especially from friends and family members. A guy who hasn't had a girlfriend and is not even seen dating a girl raises a lot of red flags. It can get uncomfortable when relatives start asking "so when are you getting married?" in a family gathering. It's just so much easier to prevent these questions from being asked and just give them a good show.
Family and religious situations can also force a gay guy to use a female friend as a shield of sorts. A lot of gay guys are scared that their traditional families are unable to accept them if they revealed their true sexual preference. This is particularly common in military families and influential families. They could stand to be disinherited if they don't adhere to certain "standards." Certain religious organizations, on the other hand, are openly discriminating against homosexuality. This forces their gay membership to go into hiding.
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Do beards actually work?
A disguise only works if the person using it knows how to wear it. You can't pretend to be a skinny bikini clad girl if you are a 200 lb guy, for instance. Oftentimes, the (obviously) gay guy wearing a beard is made the subject of ridicule. People talk about him behind his back. Who, after all, is he fooling? The lady friend, on the other hand, becomes the receiving end of a pity party. The poor girl has no idea that her "boyfriend" is just using her.
Will this "fashion trend" end soon?
I think that this beard fad will continue for as long as there is a need for gay people to hide their true identities. If discrimination persists, people will be forced to go into hiding.
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