I’ve just got home from “El Circo” which is the dinner/show night that I’ll hopefully soon be pole dancing at. One of the acts there is a male belly dancer and I have to say, despite me doing pole dancing and aerial silks, it’s one of the gayest things I’ve ever seen. When a man comes out in a lime green lycra ensemble with a silver pleated cape and starts belly dancing it does throw you for a bit of a loop. Especially when you consider that in the middle east, where belly dancing originates from my understanding, he’d probably be hung or stoned to death for being gay in the first place. The guy is very talented and has amazing control of his body, but it’s an odd spectacle to see, but I’m all for challenging ideas and stereotypes.
Have you ever heard of Boy Shakira? He was a contestant on America’s Got Talent and would perform songs by Shakira and would dress like Shakira. At first it was a bit unsettling but then it became entertaining although it bordered on freak show status. Google him to get pics.
Belly dancing is not a female-only dance, nor would a man doing the dance mean being gay. There are several traditions of men dancing, but this is just less known in the western world. It is not uncommon for both boys and girls to learn the dance when they are young, copying older individuals at family functions. This may have lessened in recent years, but it is not because it is against some form of tradition. As for the costumes, it is contemporary and western assumptions of what looks gay that make them less acceptable.
Anonymous beat me to it.