‘They were not drag queens, they were playboy models and bodybuilders’: media, masculinities and gay sexual identity

Abstract

Using collective memory work, this study explored the development of masculinities and sexual identity through the media memories and experiences of gay men. Six gay men wrote about, discussed, and analyzed positive and negative memories of masculinities and gay male identity as portrayed in media. Their collective analysis revealed two major themes. The first theme, media as a means for opening the closet door, included escaping isolation, assessing others' reactions via shared media experiences, and locating oneself in gay culture. The second theme, mainstreaming gay identity, documents negotiating the stereotypes, hypermasculinity as a reaction to effimenancy, and (gay) marriage and family as a normalizer. Findings demonstrate men used media as an instructional medium to shape their understandings of manhood, sexuality and more subtly, participation in discourse related to heteronormativity and that media does not just socialize viewers, but also provides creative and resistant outlets for marginalized populations.

Keywords:

• sexual identity
• collective memory
• media
• gay men
• manhood
• hypermasculinity

Notes

1. Although the theoretical underpinnings of Collective Memory Work support a highly educated sample, we also believe that those who are not formally educated could make similar contributions.