It was an early summer morning and I had decided to go to Starbucks. While standing in line, the man in front of me approached the register.
He was wearing a San Diego Chargers Jersey and running shoes. When the man at the register asked what he would like, the man replied, “Let me get a caramel frappuccino, no homo.”
The man at the register seemed confused, but carried on with the drink.
Moments later I ordered a mango strawberry lemonade and went home.
When I got home my 17 year old nephew came downstairs, looked at my drink and said, “That looks good, no homo.”
It was like a slap of ignorance to the face.
Why do we as men always say “no homo” for stupid things?
When did men start having sexual attractions towards frozen drinks? Who established that all frozen drinks are male?
These are thoughts that run through my head every time I hear the phrase “no homo” or the newest phrase “pause.”
So I decided to do some research on the origin of “no homo.”
First off let me explain what no homo means. No homo is a phrase that is used by most males after they utter something that might make them seem like they are homosexual. For example, if a guy walks up to his friend and says nice jeans or something, then it is expected for him to say no homo afterwards, therefore, making the statement completely heterosexual.
The term originated in East Harlem in the early 1990s.
The reason it was used was to distance yourself from the down-low stereotype of closeted gay and bisexual men.
However in the early 2000s, rapper Cam’ron and his group The Diplomats started using the phrase in their music, but Lil Wayne has been among the most prolific users of the no homo adage.
We also now have the term “pause,” which means the same thing but usually comes from the other party.
I understand why it was created, and if it stuck to its original meaning I wouldn’t have a problem. But since guys use it for simple stuff that has nothing to do with your sexual orientation at all, it lost its purpose.
And by simple stuff I mean things like saying no homo after admitting you like an Erykah Badu song, ordering corn dogs, or the craziest is wearing a certain color. Colors are colors.
They do not pick and choose a sex they want to be associated with. The world does.
I own a salmon shirt, and it is very comfortable and nice. Now I’m not saying go out and buy pink underwear with butterflies on them, but if you like pink and butterflies go for it.
Another complication with the no homo phase is that men aren’t allowed to eat certain things properly.
For example, if you have a popsicle some men expect you to bite it instead of sucking on it. Pause.
Do you know how uncomfortable it is to bite popsicles?
I didn’t think eating specific shaped foods made you homosexual.
“You know how many foods are shaped like d***s? The best kinds,” said Seth from Superbad.
I asked other men of different age groups how often they say no homo.
The men in college replied by saying they barely said it at all. However, the young men in high school said that they say it whenever stuff seems “really homo.”
So is it a maturity thing? I’m not sure. But in the end, what really matters is your comfort level with your sexuality.
You shouldn’t have to say no homo every five minutes if you know you are not homosexual. The more you say it, the more suspect you seem.
So I hope you enjoyed reading this article and that it helps you the next time you want to say no homo for something not homosexual at all.
So to all my brothers, take care … no homo.
Tory Wadlington is a junior mass communication major from Los Angeles.