muscle queen

plural muscle queens · alternative muscle-queen · alternative Muscle Queen

1. derogatoryslangLGBTAn especially muscular gay man who works out, usually for sex appeal.

   American flags are hung alongside rainbow flags, middleclass families stand alongside shirtless muscle queens. It is a harmonious, almost surreal confluence of the gay and straight worlds.

   2003, Peter Manso, chapter 3, in Ptown: Art, Sex, and Money on the Outer Cape, Scribner, page 16

   4 more examples

   He’d been labeled “gay” in my mind from the beginning. It wasn’t like he was a swishy queen. He was a muscle queen. Don’t muscle queens pass for straight? Our waitress at the Bluebird had flirted with him. She hadn’t seen him as gay.

   2002, Greg Herren, chapter 16, in Murder in the Rue Dauphine, Alyson Books, page 151

   These days, just dieting wasn’t enough. You could be out at the gym feeling great about yourself when some muscle queen with a three-percent body fat ratio catches your eye and paranoia strikes a home run.

   2008, Jeffrey Round, chapter 36, in The P-town Murders, Cormorant Books, page 261

   “Honey, every date is a job interview,” he said, striking a pose. He’s an inch or two taller than I am, skinny as a coconut palm, with close-cropped blond hair. He’s a muscle queen, with bulging biceps and abs as taut as guitar strings. He likes to pretend to be some kind of Teutonic god, but I know he’s just a suburban boy from New Jersey.

   2009, Neil S. Plakcy, chapter 2, in Mahu Vice, Alyson Books, page 12

   Gay men who work out a lot are often referred to as muscle queens or gym queens and, if they fly around the country to dance all night to circuit techno music, circuit queens. Wealthy gays who often dress in preppy styles are sometimes known as A-gays, and gay men into leather are leathermen.

   2011, Kathy Belge, Marke Bieschke, chapter 1, in Queer: The Ultimate LGBT Guide for Teens, Zest Books, page 13

2. broadlyA man who is attracted to bodybuilders or muscular men.

   “Oh, like queen in real gay slang,” said Leif. “A muscle queen is into guys with muscles; a size queen is into—you know.”

   2019, Caleb Crain, chapter 6, in Overthrow, Viking Penguin, page 250

   2 more examples

   I’ve got it,” said Dave. “You’re a muscle queen.” You mean I'm sort of a hunk? I think I’ve got quite a ways to go,” I demurred. “No, I mean you crave them muscles. I can see those pretty green eyes of yours bug out when you see some bulky, misshapen things at the gym that I would toss out of bed if they so much as asked for crackers.”

   1989, David B. Feinberg, chapter 8, in Eighty-Sixed, Viking Penguin, page 93

   But Daniel was never any good at hiding his staring, especially when it came to guys like Adam Becker. Daniel sat with his legs crossed lady-style and just drooled over Adam. “I’m a muscle queen,” he whispered to me, leaning across the aisle. He gestured at Adam’s back and asked, “How about you?”

   2013, Michael John Harris, chapter 2, in Homo, James Lorimer Books, page 14