Is it Just Me? Queer Men's Negotiations of Queer Identities During Interactions With Heterosexual Cisgender Men
Date
2023-05-01
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Abstract
Queer men’s conceptualizations of their queer identities are multidimensional and cannot be captured by a singular definition. Similarly, queer men’s expressions of masculinities are equally as complex, as they depend on how they compete and interact with other masculinities. In this qualitative study, I examined how queer men negotiate their identities during interactions with heterosexual, cisgender men while considering the impacts that the sociocultural context of so-called Alberta has on these negotiations. I conducted semi-structured interviews with six queer men living in so-called Alberta to understand the behavioural implications of their interactions with het/cis men. Using thematic analysis, the findings suggested that queer men negotiate their behaviours in multiple ways by expressing queer masculinities to receive cultural and social benefits and safety from het/cis men. This is in response to het/cis men disproportionately creating uncomfortable interactional environments through their behaviours and the lack of representation within the so-called Alberta institutional and sociocultural context. However, queer men also employ queer masculinities by refuting negotiations of behaviour in response to het/cis men’s actions. This study emphasizes the impacts that behaviours, interactions, and culture have on queer men’s masculinities and identities that constantly shift, transform, and compete with other masculinities and identities.
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Queer masculinities, Sociocultural theory, Identity negotiation, Hegemonic masculinities
Citation
Carley, T. C. (2023). Is it just me? Queer men’s negotiations of queer identities during interactions with heterosexual cisgender men (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.