Fridae

While a preference for musical theater over football or ice hockey does not necessarily a gay boy make, it is undeniable that there are some extra-curricular activities (no, we're not talking about cruising and sex here) that gay and lesbian youths tend to gravitate towards while in school.

For gay and lesbian youths, joining the right club, society or activity in school could mean a ticket out of isolation, a chance to meet and make more friends, a platform to showcase their talents or even enjoy hitherto unavailable opportunities to act out repressed same-gender eroticism.

With that in mind, let's run down the list of extra-curricular activities that are available in most schools and assess their popularity as homo-magnets with gay and lesbian youths.

The Chorus Line
One of the favourite non-athletic pastimes of gay men must be singing in a chorus. And if you've got a set of young pipes longing to be put to good use, there's no beating the school choir. For gay youths with aspirations to be the next Streisand or Mariah, there's no better training ground than joining a choir. Be it for the love of music or a desire to trip down the yellow brick road in the school adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, the choir exerts a natural pull for young gay boys with a weakness for musical theatre or even opera. While this assumption may be guilty of perpetuating gay stereotypes, just ask yourself this: when's the last time you saw a little boy who could belt out Cosette's On My Own in Les Mis grow up fascinated with Pamela Anderson's breasts?

Uniform Fetishes
Many a gay and lesbian uniform fetishes have their roots in uniformed groups such as Brownies, Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, Boys' Brigade, National Cadet Corps or other military groups. The image of boys and girls in their neatly pressed starched uniforms has left many an indelible mark in the collective conscience of pubescent homosexuals everywhere (especially if, the uniforms in question are anything like the all-too-revealing crotch-hugging shorts for boy scouts).

Espousing a regimented life and offering training that promises to make a man out of young school boys, uniformed groups are appealing precisely because of the inherent maschimo and glamour associated with a guy (or gal) in uniform - witness Debra Winger's shameless swooning over Richard Gere in An Officer And A Gentleman. Add that to the timeless appeal of campfires, where frisky young boys and girls are cramped together in small tents and you have the stuff of "my first-time" legends in gay circles everywhere.

(Warning: With their daunting mix of strict rules and tough training, uniformed groups are definitely not for aspiring young queens or femmes whose idea of roughing it out means a grocery store that doesn't do home delivery).

Jocks, Jocks And More Jocks!
Masculinity. Camaraderie. Athletic endeavor. And same-gender eroticism. Jocks have long fascinated gay men and women since time immemorial.

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Although most gay boys tend to shy away from rough-and-tough team sports such as hockey, football, rugby and basketball etc, these sports are becoming increasing popular with the more straight-acting or closeted members of our young gay community precisely because of society's assumed masculinity of anyone playing such sports. And of course there is also the additional incentive of using these extra-curricular activities as a way to get physically close to their delectable jock pals without anyone in school suspecting that they are gay.

Unlike the gay community, our lesbian counterparts seemed to gravitate towards such sports precisely because of the perceived image of "masculinity" - resulting in the majority of "butches" in all-girls schools participating (and excelling) in sports such as touch rugby, netball, softball and so on. Whether gay or lesbian, one thing is undeniable - team sports do and will continue to hold a strong fascination for our youthful school-going crowd, especially since they offer the sinful sight of naked nubile bodies clad only jock straps or sports bras.

And The Band Played On �
While the school band as an activity has labored under unfortunate stereotypes for years (just look at American Pie II), it has nonetheless weathered many an arch joke to emerge a favourite ECA with gay and lesbian youths. The appeal of the band lies in its being a performing platform for gay and lesbian youths with musical talents or an aptitude with "instruments" that goes beyond playing the flute. Featuring a group of musicians moving in harmony, executing intricate maneuvers and formations while simultaneously playing a musical score, school bands have evolved into a spectacular spectator sport. It is thus no wonder that many a young homosexual band member has since moved on to become the sequin-clad drum majors and baton twirlers leading the local gay and lesbian bands in Gay Pride parades.

Calling All Drama Queens!
If there's one extra-curricular school activity that's most associated with gay and lesbian youths, this is it. Just think about it: flowing costumes, bright spotlights, countless opportunities to cross-dress and the chance to clap on as much make-up as the forces of gravity would allow - what more can any true-blue homosexual want? With our natural talent for play-acting and our enviable ability to assume numerous roles (i.e. wanton slut, pious virgin, filial son, macho butch, evil vixen etc.), gay and lesbian youths are the essential ingredients for any successful drama club in schools everywhere.

For many a gay boy, landing the leading role of the tragic heroine (with the requisite eyelids quivering like a dying quail) in the all-boys' school drama production is the equivalent of a wet dream come true. Dramatic aspirations aside, the drama club attracts gay and lesbian youths because it offers a creative outlet and appeals to the closet drama queens in all of us. And nothing beats that magical instance on stage when gay boys and girls can make-believe that they are the gender they play and not the gender they are born with.