Is the perception of artistic persuits being gay/effeminate a modern social construction?

It has more to do with your right brain dominance and nothing to do with your ual orientation. It's absolutely a modern social construction, and a damaging one, too. Back before the Twentieth Century, artists were respected and admired. Now that the average Joe doesn't care about art as much he makes up some idiotic construct in a desperate attempt to justify his bigotry.