Over time, male homosexuality and effeminacy have become indelibly associated, sometimes even synonymous. In "Faeries, Bears, and Leathermen," Peter Hennen contends that this stigma of effeminacy exerts a powerful influence on gay subcultures. Through a comparative ethnographic analysis of three communities, Hennen explores the surprising ways that conventional masculinity is being collectively challenged, subverted, or perpetuated in contemporary gay male culture.
Hennen s colorful study focuses on a trio of groups: the Radical Faeries, who parody effeminacy by playfully embracing it,...