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Gay men’s experiences of masculinity

James Ravenhill
James Ravenhill

“I don’t want to be seen as a screaming queen”

When people ask why I chose to studygay masculinities’ for my PhD, I think back to the time my car broke down on the A23, and the rescue service sent along this good-looking, thirty-something man to help: a knight in fluorescent armour. The car was fixed promptly, but as I headed home, I couldn’t stop thinking about my interaction with this guy.

Why had my voice dropped by an octave as I described to him what had happened? Why had I talked about the names of car parts that I knew nothing about? And what was with that feeling of blind panic when he’d asked me to “try and turn her over”?

As I drove home, I realised that I had unconsciously activated a well-rehearsed mode for managing a particular social interaction: a conversation with an unknown (straight) man.

In fact, I don’t know if the man from the AA was straight, but that doesn’t really matter. What interested me was my reaction to my stereotyped assumption about him. I guessed he was straight and, without thinking, I started performing a certain masculinity that I thought he might find acceptable, right there on the hard shoulder.

This was not necessarily about hiding my sexual orientation; rather it was motivated by a wish to avoid that familiar feeling of ‘difference’, or perhaps even inferiority. In Western society, heterosexuality is normative and things that are normative are more socially-desirable. Therefore, as gay men we must negotiate who we are in a cultural context where heterosexual versions of masculinity are more valued. So how do we respond? What strategies do gay men use to construct an identity that they experience as valued in a heteronormative society? How do gay men’s beliefs about masculinity influence their experiences of being men, and being gay?

It was these questions that I addressed in my PhD research, supervised by Dr Richard de Visser at University of Sussex. The research findings suggest that masculinity in its traditional and normative sense is central to many gay men’s identities. Such men value their hairy faces and bodies, their sporting prowess, their muscularity, and their ‘top’ self-labels (or at least, others’ assumptions that they are tops). Masculine behaviours can have compensatory value – for example, men who want to avoid the stereotype of femininity associated with being a ‘bottom’ may find themselves spending a lot of time in the gym, to make up for their perceived ‘transgression’.

A core part of a commitment to normative standards of masculinity is anti-effeminacy: being gay might be acceptable, so long as ‘gayness’ is not too visible. Some might argue that masculine men are simply more sexually appealing, but we need to ask ourselves why. Perhaps gay men have internalised the messages they have been exposed to throughout their lives that set out what ‘being a man’ should look (and sound) like.

Masculinity should look heterosexual; heterosexual masculinity is opposed to effeminacy; anti-effeminacy is therefore normative, and even desirable for some gay men.

However, some of the men I spoke to as part of my research contested the importance of masculinity, claiming that it is too unpredictable and inconsistent to be meaningful. Whether a man is perceived as masculine depends on what he is doing, where he is doing it and who is watching – perhaps it’s just easier to be unconcerned. Other participants in my studies suggested that because straight men seem to be increasingly feminised (hence the rise of the ‘metrosexual’ man, and of the ‘bromances’ often depicted in Hollywood movies), gay men may face less pressure to conform to heteronormative standards of masculinity. Perhaps the gap between heterosexual and gay masculinities is narrowing.

Even men who have a strong sense of masculine identity and traditional beliefs about masculinity may value opportunities to display non-masculine or effeminate behaviours. Some of the men I interviewed described feeling “relieved” when they were out on the gay scene, because certain gay spaces provide the opportunity to “let go” from the masculine gender performance they feel obliged to enact in everyday interactions. Masculinity may be valued in many social contexts, but being camp can have value too – perhaps because it’s experienced as frivolous, irreverent and fun, or perhaps because it’s a way for some gay men to ‘own’ their gayness.

The findings from my PhD research offer some insights to how gay men’s behavioural practices may be guided by their responses to messages about what it takes to be ‘a real man’ in contemporary UK society. As gay men, we may feel that we cannot truly achieve a valued masculine identity, and this could have implications for our well-being. Perhaps instead we need to critique normative expectations of what it means to be ‘a man’ and what it means to be ‘gay’, and simply embrace who we are.

This project was supervised by Dr Richard de Visser at University of Sussex.

James Ravenhill, University of Sussex,
www.sussex.ac.uk/profiles/134643
Twitter #JamesElZorro

 

 

Peer Action needs a new treasurer

As part of its ongoing reorganisation, which includes the relaunch of a new website, Peer Action, the HIV charity is looking for new volunteers to join the present board of trustees to help move the charity forward.

They are in particular need of a treasurer whose responsibilities will include:

♦ Day to Day running of the accounts and reconciliation.
♦ Invoices and purchases
♦ Preparation of quarterly reports for the Rainbow Fund
♦ Preparation of annual reports.

Trustee responsibilities include:

♦ Attending six meetings a year
♦ Representing Peer Action at other LGBT+ events when available
♦ Participation and promotion of Peer Action events
♦ Actively participating in the direction Peer Action is now taking

If you feel you can offer your skills and time, would like to make a difference and volunteer for a progressive HIV charity, contact Gareth Lloyd – Chair of Trustees at chair@peeraction.net

You may also contact the chair via a dedicated phone number 07 860 800 045 (this number is only answered when volunteers are available so please leave a message if no one answers).

Closing date for expressions of interest is Friday, September 1.

Is your dog microchipped?

Every year Brighton & Hove City Council’s animal wardens collect around 200 stray dogs across the city.

The number of strays generally peaks during the summer – with hot weather, children off school and more people at home, it’s easy for doors or gates to be left open by mistake, or for dogs to wander from their owners at a picnic or summer event.

With this in mind, the council’s animal wardens are reminding dog owners to make sure their pet is microchipped and has a tag with contact details on the collar. Both are legal requirements and mean the animal’s owner can be quickly be traced.

It’s also really important to keep microchip and tag information up to date if you change your address or change your phone number, the more contact numbers you include the greater chance of getting your dog back quickly.

Wardens regularly find strays where the microchip contact details are out of date.  Details can be updated by contacting the company which holds your pet’s microchip information.

Unfortunately, not all strays can be reunited with their owners. The council collected approximately 200 stray dogs between April 2016 and April this year, while the majority were reunited with their owners, 39 had incorrect chip details and 33 of them were unclaimed.  Once they have been thoroughly checked and assessed at kennels, where possible they are re-homed through local animal rescue centres.

If you are thinking of getting a dog, the animal wardens suggest going to a re-homing or rescue centre.

For more information about microchipping, click here:

To visit the animal warden team page on Brighton & Hove City Council, click here:

REVIEW: Tori Scott @Marlborough Theatre

New York based singer and actress Tori Scott brought her one woman show Thirsty, to the Marlborough Theatre, on Wednesday (July 26) and gave Brighton its finest cabaret event of the season.

Described by Provincetown Magazine as “the Bette Midler of the new millennium”,  Tori Scott has in fact much, much more to offer. She sings the socks of Bette of with a repertoire of songs ranging from standards to show tunes, all perfectly arranged to profile her voice as the magnificent instrument it is.

A raconteur, more than a comedienne she effortlessly chats her way through the evening. It is like engaging with your big sister – one minute she encourages you close to her breast to share a little secret – then she opens her mouth and blows you away with her mighty voice. That voice, has a huge range, is crystal clear from top to bottom and loses non of its finesse as she effortlessly belts out the big notes.

While her show is clearly aimed at a gay audience her appeal is much wider and I would love to see her work in a much larger venue where a talent of this size deserves to be presented.

The structure of the show is sophisticated and clever as are the quality of the medley/arrangements. Back to Back and House of the Rising Sun sent shivers down my back. Rainbow High and Buenos Aires brilliantly showed off how technically secure her vocals are and highlighted the importance of the musical director to such a performer. Her keyboard player Jesse Kissel was quite simply brilliant and the quality of their musical partnership was highlighted in the cool and contemporary medley La Vie En Rose/Wrecking Ball/The Man That Got Away, that quite simply took my breath away.

Remember the name Tori Scott, I will for a long time.

Tori is Live at Zedel in London this evening at 9.15pm

To book online, click here:

 

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