Discussing masculinity among gay men : Discursive constructions and negotiations of masculinity through heterosexual publics and gay counterpublics.

Sammanfattning

Masculinity has been a topic of debate across gay male communities with varying definitions across different contexts and people. Differences that can pose internal division among gay men, resulting in social hierarchies and exclusion. Using thematic analysis from a constructionist view and based mainly on Michael Warner’s counterpublic theory, this study aims to highlight how masculinity for gay men is initially constructed discursively within heterosexual publics and later negotiated within gay counterpublics. For this analysis, five men that live in Belgium have been interviewed and 2-3 cases have been selected for each of the two research questions. The interviews show that masculinity is discursively constructed through family and school within a binary system that opposes it to femininity, while also being continuously negotiated in different social contexts. It also demonstrates that gay counterpublics can both reproduce exclusionary heteronormative ideals and foster more inclusive, fluid understandings of masculinity, highlighting the transformative power of discourse.