Homohysteria

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Homohysteria is the fear of being thought homosexual because of behavior that is typically considered gender atypical. [1] Homohysteria can exist in cultures where it is understood that people are and can be homosexual, even if closeted, and that homosexuality is perceived as less desirable than heterosexuality. [2] This combination leads to men fearing others will think they are gay if they do not fit male gender stereotypes. [2] Not fitting into gender stereotypes (gender atypicality) has historically been associated with gay men, with the trials of Oscar Wilde furthering this belief in Britain and elsewhere, with his conviction of gross indecency furthering public stereotypes about gay males. Because of these misconceptions, many stereotypically "masculine-acting" gay men were exempt from public suspicion about their sexuality. [3]

Contents

Creation

Homohysteria is a concept established as part of Professor Eric Anderson's Inclusive Masculinity Theory. Both Eric Anderson and Mark McCormack argue that there are three social conditions that must be met for a homohysteric culture to exist: (1) widespread awareness that male homosexuality exists as an immutable sexual orientation within a significant portion of a culture's population; (2) high levels of homophobia in that culture; and (3) an association of gender atypicality with homosexuality. These varying levels of social conditions help explain various social trends concerning masculinities. [4]

For example, homohysteria helps explain how men in many Islamic countries are permitted to engage in physical and emotional intimacy (including hand-holding) without threat to their publicly perceived heterosexual identities; whereas two men holding hands in America are perceived as gay, men in Islamic countries are not considered homosexual for partaking in the same behaviours. [4] This is due to a belief that men in these societies could not be gay, with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claiming Iran had no gay people, and others declaring homosexuality to be the "white man's disease". [3]

Likewise, homohysteria has the ability to explain nuances between male tactility over time, with the work of John Ibson [5] found a decrease in social distance between men in group photographs, which can be understood through utilising homohysteria. This concept has been utilised in explaining homophobia and gender policing among females also; [6] primarily by Rachael Bullingham in her exploration of the athletes experiences in team sports. [7]

Western homohysteria is believed by Eric Anderson to have peaked in the 1980s, following the HIV/AIDS epidemic amongst gay men. [3]

Impact

As a culture becomes less homophobic and there is less of a stigma around physical platonic affection between men, the lives of heterosexual men are improved, as they are less aggressive and physically alienated from one another. [8]

Related Research Articles

A gender role, also known as a sex role, is a social role encompassing a range of behaviors and attitudes that are generally considered acceptable, appropriate, or desirable for a person based on that person's sex. Gender roles are usually centered on conceptions of masculinity and femininity, although there are exceptions and variations.

Sissy, also sissy baby, sissy boy, sissy man, sissy pants, etc., is a pejorative term for a boy or man who does not demonstrate masculine traits, and shows possible signs of fragility. Generally, sissy implies a lack of courage, strength, athleticism, coordination, testosterone, male libido, and stoicism. A man might also be considered a sissy for being interested in typically feminine hobbies or employment, displaying effeminate behavior, being unathletic or being homosexual.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masculinity</span> Attributes associated with boys and men

Masculinity is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as socially constructed, and there is also evidence that some behaviors considered masculine are influenced by both cultural factors and biological factors. To what extent masculinity is biologically or socially influenced is subject to debate. It is distinct from the definition of the biological male sex, as anyone can exhibit masculine traits. Standards of masculinity vary across different cultures and historical periods.

Heterosexism is a system of attitudes, bias, and discrimination in favor of female–male sexuality and relationships. According to Elizabeth Cramer, it can include the belief that all people are or should be heterosexual and that heterosexual relationships are the only norm and therefore superior.

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Straight-acting is a term for LGBT individuals who do not exhibit the appearance or mannerisms of what is seen as stereotypically gay. Although the label is used by and reserved almost exclusively for gay and bisexual men, it may also be used to describe a lesbian or bisexual woman exhibiting a feminine appearance and mannerisms. Since the term invokes negative stereotypes of gay people, its application is often controversial and may cause offense.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT stereotypes</span> Stereotypes around LGBTQ people and communities

LGBT stereotypes are stereotypes about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people are based on their sexual orientations, gender identities, or gender expressions. Stereotypical perceptions may be acquired through interactions with parents, teachers, peers and mass media, or, more generally, through a lack of firsthand familiarity, resulting in an increased reliance on generalizations.

Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred or antipathy, may be based on irrational fear and may sometimes be related to religious beliefs.

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Queer heterosexuality is heterosexual practice or identity that is also controversially called queer. "Queer heterosexuality" is argued to consist of heterosexual, cisgender, and allosexual persons who show nontraditional gender expressions, or who adopt gender roles that differ from the hegemonic masculinity and femininity of their particular culture.

Eric Anderson is an American sociologist and sexologist specializing in adolescent men's gender and sexualities. He holds the position of Professor of Masculinities, Sexualities and Sport at the University of Winchester, in England. His research has been recognized for excellence by the British Academy of Social Sciences and he is an elected Fellow of the International Academy of Sex Research. Anderson is an advocate for the inclusion of gay men in sport and is America's first openly gay high-school coach, having come out at Huntington Beach High School, the same high-school that produced the nation's first openly gay, professional team sport athlete, Robbie Rogers who recently played for LA Galaxy.

The sexual orientation hypothesis is a hypothesis proposed by Donald McCreary in 1994 that attempts to explain the impact of gender stereotypes on judgments about sexual orientation. This hypothesis states that feminine men are more likely to be assumed gay than masculine women are to be assumed lesbians. This model asserts a broad tendency to associate gender-atypical behavior in men with homosexuality. This is combined with a stigmatization of behaviors held as signs of same-sex attraction in men, and reinforces a stronger culture of exclusive homophobia than among young women.

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Compulsory heterosexuality, often shortened to comphet, is the theory that heterosexuality is assumed and enforced upon people by a patriarchal and heteronormative society. The term was popularized by Adrienne Rich in her 1980 essay titled "Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence". According to Rich, social science and literature perpetuate the societal belief that women in every culture are believed to have an innate preference for romantic and sexual relationships with men. She argues that women's sexuality towards men is not always natural but is societally ingrained and scripted into women. Comphet creates the belief that society is overwhelmingly heterosexual and delegitimizes queer identities. As a result, it perpetuates homophobia and legal inequity for the LGBTQ+ community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Discrimination against gay men</span> Prejudice, hatred, or bias toward gay men, male homosexuality, or men perceived to be gay

Discrimination against gay men, sometimes called gayphobia, is a form of homophobic prejudice, hatred, or bias specifically directed toward gay men, male homosexuality, or men who are perceived to be gay. This discrimination is closely related to femmephobia, which is the dislike of, or hostility toward, individuals who present as feminine, including gay and effeminate men. Discrimination against gay men can result from religion, prejudicial reactions to one's feminine mannerisms, styles of clothing, and even vocal register. Within the LGBT-community, internalized issues around meeting social expectations of masculinity have been found among gay, bisexual, and transgender men. Gayphobia is misandry that intersects with homophobia. It's analogous to lesbophobia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of LGBT topics</span> Overview of and topical guide to LGBT topics

The following outline offers an overview and guide to LGBT topics.

Inclusive masculinity is an approach to thinking about masculinity in the context of social changes that have undermined traditional hegemonic masculinity and its associated homophobia, which each have driven men to avoid certain behaviors in order to avoid being publicly perceived as gay; it holds that there are increasingly societal spaces in which men no longer need to behave in hypermasculine ways in order to be accepted. When this occurs, men can engage in a variety of previously feminine practices without the fear of being perceived gay or weak.

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Gender roles in non-heterosexual communities are a topic of much debate; some people believe traditional, heterosexual gender roles are often erroneously enforced on non-heterosexual relationships by means of heteronormative culture and attitudes towards these non-conformative relationships.

References

  1. ↑ Anderson, Eric (Fall 2011). "The Rise and Fall of Western Homohysteria" (PDF). Journal of Feminist Scholarship (1). Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  2. 1 2 Bullingham, Rachel; Magrath, Rory; Anderson, Eric (2014). Changing the game: sport and a cultural shift away from homohysteria. Routledge Handbook of Sport, Gender and Sexuality. p. 276. ISBN   9781136326967 . Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Anderson, Eric. "Homophobia (psychology and society)". britannica.com. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  4. 1 2 Eric Anderson; Mark McCormack (2014-08-01). "The Influence of Declining Homophobia on Men's Gender in the United States: An Argument for the Study of Homohysteria" (PDF). Sex Roles. 71 (3–4): 109–120. doi:10.1007/s11199-014-0358-8. S2CID   143889593.
  5. ↑ John Ibson (2002). Picturing Men: A Century of Male Relationships in Everyday American Photography . Smithsonian. ISBN   9781588340559. ASIN   1588340554.
  6. ↑ Meridith G. F. Worthen (2014-08-01). "The Cultural Significance of Homophobia on Heterosexual Women's Gendered Experiences in the United States: A Commentary". Sex Roles. 71 (3–4): 141–151. doi:10.1007/s11199-014-0389-1. S2CID   144988396.
  7. ↑ Anderson, Eric; Bullingham, Rachael (2015). "Openly lesbian team sport athletes in an era of decreasing homohysteria" (PDF). International Review for the Sociology of Sport. 50 (6): 647–660. doi:10.1177/1012690213490520. S2CID   73653713.
  8. ↑ McCormack, Mark; Anderson, Eric (7 August 2014). "Homohysteria: Definitions, Context and Intersectionality" (PDF). Sex Roles. 71 (3–4): 152–158. doi:10.1007/s11199-014-0401-9. S2CID   144553623.
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