CAHSS Faculty Articles
Butterflies under Cover: Cuban and Puerto Rican Gay Masculinities in Miami
Department
Department of Justice and Human Services
Publication Date
1999
Publication Title
The Journal of Men's Studies
ISSN
1933-0251
Volume
7
Issue/No.
3
First Page
371
Last Page
390
Abstract
Life histories of ethnic Cuban and Puerto Rican gay men who live in Miami-Dade County, Florida are examined to explore the strategies men employ to deal with their stigmatized sexuality, their negotiations of gendered self-attribution as they confront Miami's masculinized gay culture, and their reinterpretation of gay stereotypes and their own masculinities over time. Puerto Rican men were more likely to adopt a feminized self-conception and to deal with their stigmatization by moving away from their families. As they consolidated their identities within Miami's gay culture, however, all of the men gradually arrived at a more masculine self-understanding. Key variables in the gender negotiation process include the construction of inherited hegemonic masculinities, as well as the dominant form of masculinity within the local gay community.
NSUWorks Citation
Kurtz, S. P. (1999). Butterflies under Cover: Cuban and Puerto Rican Gay Masculinities in Miami. The Journal of Men's Studies, 7 (3), 371-390. https://doi.org/10.3149/jms.0703.371
ResearcherID
H-3010-2014
DOI
10.3149/jms.0703.371