Queer Masculinity
Etymology of Queerness
The term "queer" is commonly used to refer to non-heterosexuality or a non-heterosexual and/or non-cisgender individual; as a verb, it may mean to take an approach from a perspective that rejects the traditional ideas of heteronormativity and is informed by queer theory. Originally, the term carried negative connotations and were used as homophobic slurs as the term was used to refer to the non-normative.[1]
In a heteronormative and heteropatriarchal society, where gender roles, the concept of an aligned sex, gender, and sexual orientation, and patriarchal ideals are the norm, then to be non-normative, or "queer" would be to counter this norm. Where heteronormativity and heteropatriarchy masculinity over femininity - where masculinity is seen to be the default for the male gender as well as a desirable trait that the female gender should sought to achieve;[2] to be non-normative and "queer", in theory, would be to subvert this by not putting masculinity above femininity.
Masculinity in Queer Women
Queer women who present themselves with traditionally feminine characteristics, such as having long hair or wearing makeup, often goes unnoticed and would be assumed to be heterosexual and cisgendered by the queer community, this is known as femme invisibility.[3] Femmes, or queer women who present themselves in a traditionally feminine manner, are often assumed to be more privileged and denied of their sexuality.[4]
In media representations, masculinity has long been associated with the stereotypical queer woman through the archetypical butch lesbian, who is usually presented in "heavy boots, jeans, plain t-shirts and other conventionally un-feminine attire."[5] Not only are queer women associated with these stereotypes, but representations of women who are not queer but present themselves with symbols of masculinity would be speculated to be queer - such as the character Carol Danvers from the 2019 film, Captain Marvel, who fans speculated to be a queer female character due to her attire.[6]
Symbols of masculinity - such as flannel shirts, short hair, or baggy jeans - not only became stereotypes for queer women, but also became conventional signifiers for queer women.[7] Queer women presenting themselves with these symbols of masculinity would be considered to be the "default" and automatically be assumed to have homosexual desires.
Masculinity in Queer Men
In 2012, a study has been conducted about the attitudes that queer men have towards masculinity, the results showed that the majority of participants of that survey considered it to be important for themselves to be presented in a masculine manner, but also for their partners to present themselves in a traditionally masculine manner.[8][9] Traditionally masculine traits are often preferred and used as a determining factor of attractiveness in queer men; "straight acting" or queer men who presents themselves in a traditionally masculine manner and carry traditionally masculine traits - such as a muscular body, a low voice, or a beard - are often seen to be more attractive within the queer community, in fact, the stereotypical effeminate queer man is often considered to be unattractive to the point of being an insult. A high voice, enthusiasm, a skinny but non-muscular body, or even punctuating text messages with exclamation marks can be associated with the stereotypical effeminate queer man, therefore, some queer men would actively avoid having these traits and instead take on more traditionally masculine traits, such as having a deep voice, a muscular body, and having masculine hobbies like hiking.[10]
Queer Toxic Masculinity
In 2017, a survey shows that out of over 5,000 participants, 71 percent of gay men said that they are actively turned off by prospective partners showing signs of femininity, while 41 percent believed that queer men who presented themselves in a feminine manner gives the LGBTQ+ community a negative image.[11] Queer men are expected to live up to expectations of masculinity as their heterosexual counterparts are; while toxic masculinity may be based on the domination of women, gay toxic masculinity is based on "stigmatizing and subjugating femmes, queer men of color, and trans men via body norms, racism, and transphobia."[12]
Queer women who present themselves in a traditionally feminine manner are often ignored and dismissed of their sexuality. In an article by academic Anika Stafford, feminine-presenting queer women report being treated in a demeaning way within the queer community in the form of being sexualized but also seen to be inferior by other queer women. Stafford proposes that this phenomenon is due to femininity being associated with passivity or being an object for masculine sexual desire, which relates to misogynistic ideals based on conceptualizations of female bodies as failed versions of their male counterparts.[13]
References
- ↑ "Queer | Definition of Queer by Merriam-Webster". Merriam Webster.
- ↑ "7 Ways Our Culture Devalues Femininity". Bustle.
- ↑ "Femme Invisibility". Pride Pocket.
- ↑ "Femme Privilege Does Exist a Little". Autostraddle.
- ↑ "Butch Lesbian | Tv Tropes". TV Tropes.
- ↑ "The Costuming in 'Captain Marvel' Serves Major Lesbian Energy". Garage.
- ↑ "Style Habits That Are a Dead Giveaway That You're a Lesbian". Pride.
- ↑ "Gay Men's Obsession with Masculinity Is Hurting Their Mental Health". Them.
- ↑ Sanchez, Francisco J. ""Straight Acting Gays": The Relationship Between Masculine Consciousness, Anti-Effeminacy, and Negative Gay Identity". Archives of Sexual Behavior.
- ↑ "The One Question Men Need to Stop Asking on Gay Dating Apps". GQ.
- ↑ "An Alarming Number of Gay Men Say They're Totally Turned Off by Feminine Guys". Queerty.
- ↑ "We Need To Talk About Toxic Gay Masculinity". The Establishment.
- ↑ Stafford, Anika. "Uncompromising Positions: Reiterations of Misogyny Embedded in Lesbian and Feminist Communities' Framing of Lesbian Femme Identities". Atlantis: Critical Studies in Gender, Culture & Social Justice.