Experiences of femme identity

Coming out, invisibility and femmephobia

Dados Bibliográficos

ID12978375
AutoresKaren L Blair (0000-0002-8602-098X, University of Utah, autor correspondente), R A Hoskin (0000-0001-9065-980X, Queen's University)
Ano2014
Volume6
Fascículo3
Páginas229-244
Data de publicação2014-05-23
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoPsychology and Sexuality (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1941-9902 • E-ISSN: 1941-9899
EditoraTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/19419899.2014.921860
OpenAlexW2074645670
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas80
Referências citadas14

A qualitative analysis of 146 femme-identified individuals' responses to questions about sexual identity, femme identity, gender expression and experiences of discrimination were examined in an attempt to better understand the experiences of femme-identified individuals. Specific emphasis was placed on the process of self-identifying as femme, as opposed to being categorised as femme on the basis of gender expression. Femme-identified participants described experiences of coming out femme in contrast to coming out as sexual minorities, processes of femme-identity development that were largely shaped by the prevalence of masculine privileging within queer communities and related experiences of discrimination based on their femme identity or femmephobia. The occurrences of four different types of femmephobia were explored and comparisons were made between participants as a function of their sexual identities. The study demonstrates that femme identity is not limited to individuals in exclusively butch–femme relationships or communities and that there is an important element of agency and self-actualisation associated with femme identity. Furthermore, participants of diverse sexual and gender identities self-identified as femme, indicating that femme is an identity that transgresses gender and sexuality and is not limited solely to cisgender lesbian and bisexual women

Aesthetics · Agency (philosophy · Art · Developmental psychology · Human sexuality · Identity (music · Lesbian · Psychoanalysis · Queer · Sexual identity · Sociology · Gender Diversity and Inequality · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · Gender Studies · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy · Psychology · Social Psychology