and people often speak differently around people of the gender they are attracted to then when not.

This is true. Which on the one hand is a good thing, because it means that they at least know there's something problematic about it. But not so good that it probably comes out in actions.

My theory is that the evaluation of appearance is learned, and that guys simply have very little in the way of practice when it comes to evaluting other guys.

Mine as well. Your thoughts aline with my own.

I wonder if a guy spends more time around girls growing up if he would be better at it? I have one or two straight guy friends who are very comfortable not always playing by enforced gender rules because they grew up with a lot of sisters/girl friends, and they both will answer with which guys they think are attractive when asked (though their answers tend to be more hyper-masculine--Clive Owen and Daniel Craig are two that come to mind that they've mentioned).


In a way, I don't think it's that different from the evaluation of art. If you have little experience critiquing abstract art or poetry or classical music, then it is very difficult to provide aesthetic analysis, beyond perhaps a basic level.

I can see what you're saying, and I agree.