Walk this way... but not like that: How men’s walks became weirdly sexualised

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Nicole Moore, a body language expert, tells me that while Mehdi does have a “sway” in his hips when he walks, studying a person’s mannerisms, physicality or characteristics in order to decipher whether they are gay or not is rooted in stereotypes. “What people are using to judge Mehdi is a stereotype of a gay man, and trying to paste one part of his body – his hips – onto that stereotype in the hope that it will be a match.” Moore claims that studying body language usually helps us find unspoken or underlying emotions that aren’t being communicated verbally, but it can’t be used in the same way to reveal a person’s sexual orientation. “We can’t put a label on people and decide who they are by looking at their body language,” she explains. It’s also about knowing, liking and trusting yourself – qualities I believe Mehdi has.” Mehdi may go down in Love Island history as “the one with the fruity walk”.