Sexuality

• gender

  social construction
• sex

  biologically determined
• socialisation

  gendered norms and values instilled from birth
• Oakley (1982) - gender identity

  • manipulation - parents regulate behaviour
  • canalisation - parents shape the use of gendered toys
  • domestic activities - girls help their mother, boys help their father
  • verbal appellations - girls given feminine compliments, eg. ‘pretty’, boys labelled as ‘handsome’
• Polari

  language used by homosexuals, eg. ‘dolly’ = ‘beautiful’
• Podvesa (2007)

  falsetto voice linked to femininity, eg. Heath (gender performativity)
• Legman (1941) - “lavender linguistics“

  a study into the language of LGBT community groups, at the time when homosexuality was illegal
• Leap (1995)

  the LGBT community uses language differently to heterosexuals, only intended to be understood by the gay community, eg. acronyms
• Hayes (1980)

  gayspeak has 3 functions:

  1. secret code for protection against exposure
  2. code express roles within the subculture
  3. resources used by activists to politicise social life