Variation, Implied Pathology, Social Meaning, and the 'Gay Lisp': A Response to Van Borsel et al. (2009)

This brief communication is a response to the article "The prevalence of lisping in gay men" (Van Borsel, J., De Bruyn, E., Lefebvre, E., Sokoloff, A., De Ley, S., & Baudonck, N. 2009. "Journal of Communication Disorders, 42", 100-106). I argue aspects of that study's design, measurement, and interpretation limit the strength of its authors' conclusions that there is a higher incidence of lisping in gay men than in heterosexual men. Suggestions for further research are presented.