‘Dude, You’re a Fag’: Adolescent Masculinity and the Fag Discourse

This article argues that American adolescent boys become masculine through the continual repudiation of a ‘fag’ identity. Using insights from sociologists of interaction and post-structural theorists of sexuality this article demonstrates that the fag insult has multiple meanings which are primarily...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sexualities 2005-07, Vol.8 (3), p.329-346
Main Author: Pascoe, C. J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescents
Discourse
Gender studies
Heterosexuality
Homophobia
Homosexuality
Males
Masculinity
Racism
Sex Role Identity
Sexuality
Sociology
Sociology of the family. Age groups
Youth problems
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Summary:This article argues that American adolescent boys become masculine through the continual repudiation of a ‘fag’ identity. Using insights from sociologists of interaction and post-structural theorists of sexuality this article demonstrates that the fag insult has multiple meanings which are primarily gendered but also sexualized and raced. This article builds on prior analyses of adolescent homophobia by (1) pointing to the limits of an argument that focuses centrally on homophobia, (2) demonstrating that the fag is not only an identity linked to homosexual boys but an identity that can temporarily adhere to heterosexual boys as well and (3) highlighting the racialized nature of this fag discourse.
ISSN:1363-4607
1461-7382
DOI:10.1177/1363460705053337