Love Island's Sexuality Speculation: Why Are We So Obsessed With Labels and Orientation?

Why are we assuming someone's sexual orientation based on how they act?

Unless you've been living under a rock, you're probably aware that the summer season of Love Island has returned to our screens. And isn't this season already so juicy?

If you're a Love Island fan, you might have seen some of the comments circulating around regarding one of the contestants — Mehdi Edno – and his sexuality. Since the beginning of this season, people have turned to Twitter to express their opinions on Mehdi's sexuality.

Here are some of the things that were said on social media:

"Mehdi gives gay bestfriends vibes."

"Mehdi is clearly gay, right?"

"Been saying this from day one... Mehdi is a gay man."

"Mehdi is too sassy to not be gay I'm so sorry."

"Mehdi is like fully gay. The way he's holding Jess' hand is one of the gayest things I've seen. He's not even hiding it."

Clearly, a lot of people are attacking Mehdi for certain mannerisms or how he presents himself — believing he fits into the stereotypical ideal of a gay man.

But why are we so quick to judge and label people? The second a man shows off a sassy or flamboyant personality he's viewed as gay or camp. And this isn't the first time fans are speculating sexuality on the show.

Ex-Islanders, farmer Will Young from Winter 2023, and Curtis Pritchard from Summer 2019 both found themselves and their sexualities a popular topic on socials, too. Both Love Islanders were under attack by viewers for their sexuality, wondering if they were in fact gay. These opinions rose from the individuals displaying more 'feminine' qualities and being comfortable within their sexualities, leading many to believe they were hiding their true selves.

The implication that individuals who aren't as masculine must be gay is an archaic way to view gender roles and identities. It's small-minded to believe that people need to behave in certain ways to solidify their orientations and identities.

Sexuality speculation is harmful

Sexuality speculation is harmful as it diminishes the chance for self expression and boxes off gender identities. The expectation that there's only one way to identify as either male or female is outdated. Surely just because someone acts a certain way and differently to the majority doesn't mean they can't identify in the same way?

Whatever you identify as, you should have the freedom to be as 'masculine' or as 'feminine' as you want without others questioning your authenticity.

Strangely, you don't see the girls on Love Island being called lesbians for portraying more 'male' characteristics, so why are we so afraid of feminine men? Is it because society deems females as weaker and equates that to femininity? Or is it a threat for men to be around feminine men as they may feel emasculated in their presence?

Characteristics and behaviours don't equate to sexual orientation.

While people have been talking about Mehdi and his sexuality, there have been people supporting him and disagreeing with the speculations. Here are a few examples:

"Just because a man is feminine doesn't mean he's gay?"

"Need to stop labelling guys like Mehdi as gay."

"I don't even like Mehdi because of how he treats Whitney but assuming he's gay because he doesn't match to what people see as masculine when he's literally on a heterosexual dating show is so odd, why is sexuality up for debate in the first place?"

Exactly. WHY is Mehdi's sexuality the hot topic of conversation when he's already on a heterosexual dating show, in a heterosexual couple — he doesn't need to explain himself or his preferences. And regardless of whether he's straight, bisexual, or gay, it's actually none of our business.

Someone's sexuality isn't up for debate. It's no one's business how someone identifies. We shouldn't be making sexuality assumptions based on someone's mannerisms or how they act.

People are way more than just their sexual preferences. Let's stop over-analysing others and forcing people to defend their behaviour.

We're more than our labels.

If you fancy getting clued up about the LGBTQIA+ community, check out every LGBTQ+ flag you might see at pride and what they all mean.