Is My Dad Gay If He Suddenly Loves Brunch?
For decades, Dad ate breakfast. Recently he has started eating brunch. Our researchers would like to understand what happened in between.
By the Gay-I Research Desk · · 3 min read
The Gay-I Verdict
Gay-I Reading: 58%No, loving brunch does not make your dad gay. Brunch is a meal, and liking a meal is not an orientation. The Gay-I does consider brunch a leading indicator, though, mostly of a dad who has discovered that eggs taste better at 11:30 with a reservation.
Economists use leading indicators to predict where things are headed before they get there. Building permits. Consumer confidence. The Gay-I Research Desk uses brunch.
The theory is simple. A dad's relationship with the late-morning meal tends to change gradually, then all at once. One Sunday he is eating a Denver omelet at a diner counter. A few years later he is telling the host he has a reservation under "Rick." We tracked the stages so you can see where your dad is on the curve.
The Baseline: Diner Breakfast
Every study needs a control group. Ours is the diner. The diner dad orders the same thing every time, calls the waitress by name, and finishes his coffee before the food arrives so he can get a refill. He is in and out in 40 minutes. He considers any meal that takes longer than that "a whole thing."
This is the healthy, stable state of fatherhood. The Gay-I records a reading of zero here and does not ask follow-up questions.
The Brunch Signal Index
Below are the stages our researchers observed, scored on the Gay-I's standard five-point scale. Most dads stop somewhere in the middle. A few keep going.
| Signal | Gay-I Strength | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Diner breakfast, same order since 1994 | The baseline. He has never once looked at the menu. | |
| Says "brunch" unprompted | Nobody else in the house said it first. He just said it. | |
| Orders a mimosa | Ordinary. Champagne and orange juice are both legal. | |
| Asks if the mimosas are bottomless | He has done the math on bottomless mimosas and believes he can beat it. | |
| Has a "usual brunch spot" | See below. | |
| Makes a brunch reservation | A reservation for eggs. We need a minute. |
The First Time He Says "Brunch"
Most families can name the exact day. It is usually a Saturday. Dad comes downstairs, looks at his phone, and says, "Anybody want to do brunch?" The word sits there in the kitchen. Nobody knows where he got it.
Our researchers believe the word enters a dad's vocabulary through a coworker, a nephew, or a television program he will not name. Once it is in, it does not leave. Within six months he will be using it as a verb. We made that number up, but it feels right.
Bottomless Mimosas and the Usual Spot
The bottomless mimosa is where many dads first become regulars. He likes a deal. He likes being able to say "it's basically free after the third one." The orange juice also lets him tell himself it counts as breakfast.
The usual spot is a bigger development. A dad with a usual brunch spot has preferences about hollandaise. He knows which server is good. He has opinions about the music. He may also have started dressing for it, which you can cross-reference with our questionable fabrics field guide and the sweater over the shoulders report.
- He goes to the usual spot with the family: Fine. Nice, even.
- He goes to the usual spot with "a few guys from work": Also fine. They are probably talking about fantasy football.
- He knows the host by name: He is a regular now. This is what regulars do.
- He made the reservation a week in advance on an app: The Gay-I flagged this for review and then made its own reservation.
What To Do With This Information
Very little. Brunch tells you that your dad likes eggs, daylight drinking, and not having to cook. That describes a large portion of the adult population. It cannot tell you anything about who he loves, and nothing on this site can either.
If you would still like a reading, you can upload a photo of him from the usual spot. Bonus points if he is holding the mimosa. You may also want to check his cocktail order, since brunch dads tend to branch out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it gay if my dad loves brunch?
No. Brunch is a meal served between breakfast and lunch. Liking it means your dad enjoys sleeping in and eating hollandaise, which is not an orientation.
Why did my dad suddenly start saying "brunch"?
Usually a coworker or a younger relative. Once a dad learns the word, he tends to use it a lot, often as a verb.
Is it normal for a dad to order bottomless mimosas?
Yes. Dads love a deal, and bottomless mimosas feel like a deal. The Gay-I scores this a 3 out of 5, mainly because he asked the server to "keep them coming."
My dad has a "usual brunch spot." What does that mean?
It means he has found a restaurant he likes and goes back to it. Our researchers find this suspicious in the way they find most things suspicious.
Can brunch habits tell you if someone is gay?
No. Food preferences tell you what someone likes to eat. Sexuality is not visible on a brunch menu, even one with a build-your-own-bloody-mary bar.
The joke is on stereotypes, not on anyone's dad. Nothing on this page can tell you anything about a real person's sexuality. If your dad has actually come out, start here instead.
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