While Speedos and tiny swimsuits in general are commonplace in gay enclaves like Fire Island, Palm Springs, P-town and South Beach, that isn’t the case everywhere.
On Reddit’s r/GayMen forum, a user with the handle u/blackmamba4554 recently rued the “Speedophobia” that’s so prevalent in the United States.
“It’s important to remember that men have been wearing swim briefs for decades because it is the most reasonable swimwear for swimming and sunbathing,” he wrote.
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In that post, u/blackmamba4554 also complained about society expecting men to don “huge, shapeless shorts” for swimming outings. “They try to convince us that this is due to the desire for modesty,” he wrote. “However, all arguments against [Speedo] were certainly accompanied by homophobic and body-shaming slurs.”
Many Reddit commenters agreed, and some pointed out how different it is in other countries.
“In Australia, straight and gay men have worn Speedos (or budgy smugglers, as we jokingly call them, after a small common bird that would fit down the front) with complete freedom since at least the ‘70s at any beach, pool, or resort,” one wrote.
“At the beach, the lifeguards all wear them, and at the pool, the lap swimmers in training wear them, so why not? … Additionally, women often go topless at public beaches while sunbathing without anyone caring. I suppose it’s all very European, but we just don’t have the same hangups about partial nudity as the U.S.A.”
Another Aussie concurred. “Budgees are such a confidence booster for me,” he wrote. “It took me so long to gain that confidence I’m not letting it go now. Come to Australia—a lot of men sport them with pride, and seriously, no one cares what you’re wearing at a beach/pool/lake/lagoon here. Take it from a trans guy who wears just ‘Speedos’ and medical tape across the chest to flatten. We just want to chill.”
It’s not just Australia either.
“In some places in Latin America and Europe, Speedos are the default. I’m pretty sure elsewhere, too,” another user said. “I hate seeing all that fabric and the feeling of it around my junk. Also, men who wear their boxers or other undergarments with their trunks, yuck, stop doing it.”
But Brits experience Speedophobia, too, apparently. “It’s a problem in the U.K. as well, which is probably where Americans got it from,” a fourth commenter explained. “Speedos are heavily looked down upon here, and seen as either gay, perverse, or just silly. In anything even vaguely related to sex, we’re still very puritanical outside parts of the gay scene.”
Indeed, Speedos had a lot of support on the thread.
“I will wear a Speedo to swim regardless of where I am or who’s around,” one commenter declared. “If someone feels uncomfortable, they can look the other way. I don’t care. … That being said, I live in Mexico and only three kinds of people wear Speedos here: gays, old men, and gay, old men. So there’s that.”
Another person praised the practicality of the swimwear: “Speedos are so much easier to take on and off and dry so much quicker.”
Not everyone, though, is wiling to smuggle any budgies.
“I don’t really care for Speedos, but I like the fitted short trunks,” one person replied.
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Said another, “I wear swim shorts that are just as short as I am comfortable wearing. They are not Speedos or briefs. It has nothing to do with anyone else’s opinion; it is entirely about my comfort.”
And someone else noted that longer-hemmed swimwear can be practical, too: “I wear swimming trunks because they have pockets and because I can continue to wear them around after I’m done swimming instead of having to go home and change immediately.”
In a welcome surprise, the thread also shows that Speedo fans need not be gay.
“I’m a straight guy and I will now only wear swim briefs to the beach and even smaller more revealing swimwear at the pool because I refuse to be modest so that weak-minded people can feel comfortable,” one guy wrote. “The male body is beautiful, too, and it’s about time men everywhere start with themselves and be the change they want to see. Men need a swimwear revolution.”
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