Boys are so afraid of being perceived as gay or "girly” that they call each other ‘fag’ to prove and claim their masculinity. The slur is most often directed at straight boys who seem feminine or simply less aggressive. Being called ‘fag’ is not about one’s sexual identity, or even sexual experiences, but about being non-manly; ‘fag’ is quickly becoming synonymous with ‘feminine.’ As one high school boy put it, guys get called ‘fag’ for "anything . . . literally, anything.” This "fag discourse” within American high schools supports a valuing of masculine traits over feminine traits among boys so that "whatever they did, whatever they became, however they talked, they had to avoid becoming a faggot”. Such harassment is central to boys’ identity, but not to girls (you don’t see girls walking around calling each other "dykes”). Boys need to rethink ideals of masculinity so that their manhood is not constructed by homophobic bullying.
TITLE: "Dude, You’re a Fag: Masculinity and Sexuality in High School.”
TITLE: "Dude, You’re a Fag: Masculinity and Sexuality in High School.”
AUTHOR: C.J. Pascoe
YEAR: 2007 by University of California Press
DIGITAL RIGHTS: Available for $14.93 from Amazon.com.
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