Impersonations
Impersonations are when an individual tries to impersonate a persona in order to impress the other. They use actions and behavior in order to do this. In the reading Bodybuilding as Drag, gay individuals create a persona of a hypermasculine version of themselves in order for others to see this hyper-sexualized version of themselves. One example that comes to mind is actors. T.R. Knight, a star of Grey’s Anatomy, is a gay man, but he played a straight man on the television show. He put sexuality and intimacy on the line in order to inhabit this role, a hard thing to do for many. Even further, he was told not to come out, so he had to create this persona of being heterosexual in order for the audience and producers to be happy. In this way, he inhabited this impersonation.
T.R. Knight of Grey’s Anatomy - “T.R. Knight: I Was Told Not to Come Out” - http://www.people.com/people/article/0„20038579,00.html
