'At Least I'm Not Gay': Heterosexual Identity Making among Poor Black Teens

Abstract

This ethnographic study examines the ways in which a group of American low-income Black teenagers construct affirming identities through heterosexuality. The youth undertake a number of strategies to create and protect their heterosexual identities, including adopting heterosexist ideologies, conflating heterosexuality with gender nonconformity, disassociating from gay-coded behaviors, and threatening nonconformists. These strategies allow girls and boys to fashion themselves as moral, legitimate, and superior to others: benefits they otherwise lack. While previous research suggests that policing sexuality is a way to construct masculinities, this study finds that policing gender is a way to affirm heterosexuality.

‘It’s Just Not Acceptable Any More’: The Erosion of Homophobia and the Softening of Masculinity at an English Sixth Form

“…Accordingly, homophobic bullying has been described as inevitable for most boys who transgress heteromasculine boundaries, regardless of their actual or perceived sexual orientation (Martino and PallottaChiarolli 2003). Researchers have also shown how homophobia impacts differently upon students according to their race and class (Froyum 2007;Pascoe 2007;Taylor 2007). …”

‘They're just not mature right now’: teachers' complicated perceptions of gender and anti-queer bullying

“…Young people use homophobic and heterosexist discourses to police gender and sexual identities (Chambers, Tincknell, and Van Loon 2004;Froyum 2007;Martino 2000aMartino , 2000bWoody 2003). Demonstrating that the conflation of the two identities happens quite often in adolescence, young people tend to use homophobic discourses against peers who defy gender norms as well as, if not more so than, peers who defy sexual identity norms (Froyum 2007;Horn 2007;Woody 2003).…”

“…Adolescents use homophobic discourses, identifying peers as gay or lesbian, in order to control both sexual and gender identity performances through insults and abuse (Froyum 2007;Martino 2000aMartino , 2000bWoody 2003). For example, Pascoe (2007) has shown how the use of a 'fag discourse' by young people demarcates power and regulates both sexual and gender identities in adolescence.…”

“…Sexuality has been used by students, teachers and administrators as a normalising discourse to regulate the social behaviours of youth (Chambers, Tincknell, and Van Loon 2004;Epstein, O'Flynn, and Telford 2003;Froyum 2007;Martino 2000aMartino , 2000bRenold 2000Renold , 2003Woody 2003). Young people use homophobic and heterosexist discourses to police gender and sexual identities (Chambers, Tincknell, and Van Loon 2004;Froyum 2007;Martino 2000aMartino , 2000bWoody 2003). Demonstrating that the conflation of the two identities happens quite often in adolescence, young people tend to use homophobic discourses against peers who defy gender norms as well as, if not more so than, peers who defy sexual identity norms (Froyum 2007;Horn 2007;Woody 2003).…”

“…(Rubin 1999). Students themselves use heteronormative discourses about sexuality to regulate each other's behaviour (Epstein, O'Flynn, and Telford 2003;Froyum 2007;Martino 2000aMartino , 2000bRenold 2003;Woody 2003). Peer regulation often leads to victimisation, bullying, and harassment of children and youth whom their peers perceive as non-normative, particularly LGBTQ-identified students (Froyum 2007;Woody 2003).…”