How privilege affects reactions to men’s femininity

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Référence

Nielson MG, Romanello B, Martin-Storey A (2025). How privilege affects reactions to men’s femininity. Journal of Gender Studies.

Résumé

This research aimed to explore social responses to men’s femininity, with particular attention paid to the impact of privilege as detailed in the framework of hybrid masculinities. Generally, men’s femininity is met with condemnation, but those with more privilege may have more leeway than those with less. Additionally, cultural attitudes may be evolving to be less homonegative, which may alter the reception of queer men’s femininity. From interviews with 30 young adult men in a US Southwestern city, we found evidence for compensatory masculinity privilege – allowing femininity based on other successful enactments of masculinity – and ‘gay allowance’ – a form of benevolent prejudice that allowed femininity based on conforming to gay stereotypes. Our results provide empirical evidence for the subjugation of gay masculinity under hegemonic masculinity, as well as the exceptions made for gender-typical men under hybrid masculinity. We illuminate how explicit homonegativity may be decreasing, but femmephobia – the denigration of femininity – is still persistent and prevalent.

DOI