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'At Least I'm Not Gay': Heterosexual Identity Making among Poor Black Teens

University of Norhtern Iowa, USA, carissa.froyum{at}uni.edu

This ethnographic study examines the ways in which a group of American low-income Black teenagers construct affirming identities through heterosexuality. The youth undertake a number of strategies to create and protect their heterosexual identities, including adopting heterosexist ideologies, conflating heterosexuality with gender nonconformity, disassociating from gay-coded behaviors, and threatening nonconformists. These strategies allow girls and boys to fashion themselves as moral, legitimate, and superior to others: benefits they otherwise lack. While previous research suggests that policing sexuality is a way to construct masculinities, this study finds that policing gender is a way to affirm heterosexuality.

Key Words: adolescence • gender • heterosexism • identity • sexuality

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Sexualities, Vol. 10, No. 5, 603-622 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1363460707083171


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This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Froyum, C. M. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?