swag response 1

Hana Tomljanovic

Abstract: It is believed that homophobic teasing often characterizes masculinity in adolescence and early adulthood. There is a common belief that the word “fag” is a static identity attached to a homosexual boy. Having said that, faggots represent a penetrated masculinity in which “to be penetrated” means to abdicate power. They become a threat to our social life. In this article, the author does not seek to establish that there are homosexual boys and heterosexual boys and the homosexual ones are targeted. It examines how adolescent boys use the word “fag”, regardless of their actual sexual orientation and how they become more masculine just by using it.

Question: Everyone can easily become a “fag” by doing or acting feminine and the fluidity of the “fag” identity is becoming more and more threatening. How big of a role does homophobia play in this process of labeling someone as a “fag”?

When reading “Dude you’re a fag” article I really liked the way C.J. Pascoe, demonstrated how the “fag” identity is not only an identity linked to homosexual boys, yet an identity that can affect heterosexual boys as well. Everyone can become a fag by failing at the masculine tasks. In this article, the author’s goal is to “explore what happens to theories of gender if we look at a discourse of sexualized identities in addition to focusing on seemingly static identity categories inhabited by men.” I think it is hard to describe “fag “ as an identity among homosexual boys, rather try to examine the use of the word and how it affect masculinity among adolescent boys. I really liked the example that the author gave when interviewing Keith who was white, a senior and soccer-player at the high school. Keith said “ I think guys are just homo-phobic. However, it is not just homophobia, it is a gendered homophobia. Several students told me that these homophobic insults only applied to boys and not girls.” Keith’s answer brings up an important point; If you use the word “Fag”, does that automatically mean that you are homo-phobic? I think adolescent boys spend more time thinking about themselves and how they look physically, what they wear etc. It is important for them, to look and act “masculine” whereas the word “fag” doesn’t affect girls. When girls use the term “fag” they have different intention whereas when boys use it. A good example of this is when Angela a Latina cheerleader, teased Jeremy who was a well-liked white senior involved in student government, for not ditching school with her, ‘You wouldn’t ’cause you’re a faggot.’ Just as the author said in the article, girls didn’t use the word fag on a regular basis. It wasn’t a part of their vocabulary. What I found really interesting is how the author basically compared the word “fag” to word such as hoe, slut, lesbians etc. If a girl was a lesbian according to adolescent boys, that was considered acceptable and cool.

The author did a good job of illustrating the difference between the meanings ‘gay’ and ‘fag’. In some cases the word ‘fag’ is not seen as a homophobic slur but rather exists alongside. “Fag, seriously, it has nothing to do with sexual preference at all. You could just be calling somebody an idiot you know?.. It doesn’t even have anything to do with being gay” are some responses the author received when interviewing high school boys. Having these kind of field notes, do we just accept the fact that the word fag has taken a spot in the vocabulary of adolescent boys?

Another example that caught my attention was David’s reply to if you can still be masculine if you’re gay? “‘Being gay is just a lifestyle. It’s someone you choose to sleep with. You can still throw around a football and be gay.” is what he said. In other words, there is a slight chance that a boy can be gay and at the same time masculine. The reason I say slight chance, is because usually our cruel society, if they know a man is gay he is automatically considered non-masculine. On the other hand to be called a fag is the opposite of masculine whether or not the word is deployed with sexualized or non-sexualized meanings. We can’t control that. According to the author, there are ways you become a “fag”. He says “acting out an exaggerated ‘femininity’, and/or by pretending to sexually desire other boys. Rather the fag identity is a fluid one, certainly an identity that no boy wants, but one that a boy can escape, usually by engaging in some sort of discursive contest to turn another boy into a fag.” In conclusion, “fag” may be used as a weapon with which to temporarily asserts ones masculinity by denying it to others. In other words, “fag” becomes a symbol around which contests of masculinity take place.

DMU Timestamp: March 15, 2012 22:35