Gay Skins: Class, Masculinity and Queer AppropriationSince their birth in the late 1960’s as a working class subcultural response to what was seen as a feminised, bourgeois-hippy parent culture, the skinhead has since held a semi-mythological status amongst the UK’s street tribes. But from the off, queer undercurrents inevitably ran through skinhead culture, as shaven heads, shiny DMs and tight Levis fed inevitably into fantasies and fetishes based around notions of ultra-masculinity. In this updated 1996 mini classic, Murray Healy looks into the myths and misapprehensions surrounding Gay Skins, exploring fascism, fetishism, class , sexuality and gender. |
Contents
Skinheads and Homosexuals | |
I am What I Want | |
Cult Fiction | |
Fetishising Masculinity | |
Real Men Phallicism and Fascism | |
The hardest possible image | |
Simulated Skin | |
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Common terms and phrases
aggressive Allen appropriation articulate authentic Ben Sherman biker Blood & Honour boots bovver Boyz British claim clone clothes codes context cult difference disavowal dominant dress early effeminacy effeminate emergence erotic fantasy far-right fascist feminine fetish fuck gang gay identity gay scene gay skinheads gay skins gay subculture gender George Marshall guys hair heterosexual homophobic homosexual homosexual identity homosocial Ibid identified ideology jacket James Chesebro jeans Joe Hawkins Judith Butler Leather Boys lesbian lesbian and gay liberal London macho scene magazine male masculinity Michael middle-class mods Nazi neo-Nazi never Nicky Crane oppressive organisation political popular punk queens queer queerbashing racist radical role sadomasochism sexual identity signifiers skinhead identity skinhead image skinhead look skinhead subculture Skrewdriver social Spirit of 69 straight skinheads street style Suedehead swastika symbols thing uniform venues violence wearing working-class working-class youth young youth culture