The Nature of Boys Fag Discourse as Key to Their Masculine Identity-Work - Essay Example

The discourse entails “homophobia,” but does not simply equate to it. First, although the school culture is strongly homophobic, the terrifyingly powerful “faggot” image, for boys of River High, spills out well beyond sexual issues and indeed does not actually denote “homosexuality” as such. Rather, “fag” marks failed masculinity. If masculine in demeanor, a homosexual man is not a fag; and a fag is not necessarily homosexual. Second, both the homophobia and the fag discourse are “gendered,” practiced only by boys. (Note that the boys typically think lesbians are cool). Third, both discourses are also racial. Pascoe recurrently demonstrates how masculinity models and discursive practices differ across racial groups.

The relationship between adolescent masculinity and sexuality is embedded in the spectra of the faggot. Faggots represent a penetrated Masculinity in which ‘to be penetrated is to abdicate power’. Penetrated men symbolize masculinity devoid of power, this in its contradiction, threatens both psychic and social chaos. It is precisely this spectrum of penetrated masculinity that functions as a regulatory mechanism of gender for contemporary American adolescent boys. ‘Fag’ is not necessarily a static identity attached to a particular (homosexual) boy. Fag talk and fag imitations serve as a discourse with which boys discipline themselves and each other through joking relationships. Any boy can temporarily become a fag in a given social space or interaction. This does not mean that those boys who identify as or are perceived to be homosexual are not subject to intense harassment. Read More