Language of sexuality of gay men in pursuing hookups through online dating applications
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25170/ijelt.v15i2.1849Keywords:
online language use, language and sexualities, masculine and feminine representationAbstract
This paper looks at the language of sexuality among gay men discussing sensitive and intimate topic of hooking up. The study adopts a qualitative research framework that particularly explores gender and sexuality expressions. Three self-identified gay men participated in a focus group interview session. A focus group interview was performed with a prepared set of questions and some follow-up discussion questions. The interview was recorded and transcribed and analyzed thematically. The results showed that even though there were general differences between how they pursued hookups, there were more determinants other than gender expression, such as role, tribe, and nature. More masculine presenting gays are likely to be more direct, while more feminine presenting ones are more likely to be less direct. Additionally, certain phrases are used to specify the directness of their intentions in pursuing hookups. The results indicated that issues in the community are often a complex mix of factors beyond masculinity and femininity and are still closely tied to heteronormative and patriarchal values.
References
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Johnson, K., Vilceanu, M. O., & Pontes, M. C. (2017). Use of Online Dating Websites and Dating Apps: Findings and Implications for LGB Populations. 8.
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Spiller, H. (2012). How Not to Act like a Woman: Gender Ideology and Humor in West Java, Indonesia. Asian Theatre Journal, 29(1), 31–53. https://doi.org/10.1353/atj.2012.0008
Suschinsky, K. D., Bossio, J. A., & Chivers, M. L. (2014). Women’s genital sexual arousal to oral versus penetrative heterosexual sex varies with menstrual cycle phase at first exposure. Hormones and Behavior, 65(3), 319–327.
Szymanski, D. M., Gupta, A., Carr, E. R., & Stewart, D. (2009). Internalized misogyny as a moderator of the link between sexist events and women’s psychological distress. Sex Roles, 61(1–2), 101–109.
Vicary, J. (2007). Peer Reviewed Article Cross-Gender Vocal Transformation. Voice and Speech Review, 5(1), 236–245.
Warriner, K., Nagoshi, C. T., & Nagoshi, J. L. (2013). Correlates of homophobia, transphobia, and internalized homophobia in gay or lesbian and heterosexual samples. Journal of Homosexuality, 60(9), 1297–1314.
Word, C. O., Zanna, M. P., & Cooper, J. (1974). The nonverbal mediation of self-fulfilling prophecies in interracial interaction. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 10(2), 109–120.
Blackwood, E. (2005). Gender Transgression in Colonial and Postcolonial Indonesia. The Journal of Asian Studies, 64(4), 849–879. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021911805002251
Bloembergen, M. (2011). Rein zijn is sterk zijn. De massale vervolging van homseksuelen in Nederlands-Indië. Bewaar Me Voor de Waanzin van Het Recht’; Homoseksualiteit En Strafrecht in Nederland.
Boellstorff, T. (2004). Gay Language and Indonesia: Registering Belonging. Journal of Linguistic Anthropology, 14(2), 248–268. https://doi.org/10.1525/jlin.2004.14.2.248
Boellstorff, T. (2005). Between Religion and Desire: Being Muslim and Gay in Indonesia. American Anthropologist, 107(4), 575–585. https://doi.org/10.1525/aa.2005.107.4.575
Bornstein, K. (1998). My gender workbook. New York: Routledge.
Bowles, H. R., & Flynn, F. (2010). Gender and persistence in negotiation: A dyadic perspective. Academy of Management Journal, 53(4), 769–787.
Cameron, D. & Kulick, D. (2003). Language and sexuality. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Eguchi, S. (2009). Negotiating hegemonic masculinity: The rhetorical strategy of “straight-acting” among gay men. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 38(3), 193–209.
Freitas, D. (2013). The end of sex: How hookup culture is leaving a generation unhappy, sexually unfulfilled, and confused about intimacy. Basic Books.
Grainger, K., & Mills, S. (2016). Theoretical Perspectives on Directness. In Directness and Indirectness Across Cultures (pp. 51–73). Springer.
Henderson, N. J. (2018). ‘Top, bottom, versatile’: Narratives of sexual practices in gay relationships in the Cape Metropole, South Africa. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 20(11), 1145–1156.
Johnson, K., Vilceanu, M. O., & Pontes, M. C. (2017). Use of Online Dating Websites and Dating Apps: Findings and Implications for LGB Populations. 8.
Kiesling, S. (2007). Men, Masculinities, and Language. Language and Linguistics Compass, 1(6), 653–673. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-818X.2007.00035.x
Kiguwa, P. (2015). “I provide the pleasure, I control it”: Sexual pleasure and “bottom” identity constructs amongst gay youth in a Stepping Stones workshop. Reproductive Health Matters, 23(46), 117–126.
Lau, H. L. (2005). Gay specificity: The re-working of heteronormative discourse in the Hong Kong gay community.
Lee, L., Loewenstein, G., Ariely, D., Hong, J., & Young, J. (2008). If I’m not hot, are you hot or not? Physical-attractiveness evaluations and dating preferences as a function of one’s own attractiveness. Psychological Science, 19(7), 669–677.
Lick, U. von Kardorff, & Steinke, I. (2004). A companion to qualitative research. London: Sage.
Miller, B. (2015). “Dude, Where’s Your Face?” Self-Presentation, Self-Description, and Partner Preferences on a Social Networking Application for Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Content Analysis. Sexuality & Culture, 19(4), 637–658. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-015-9283-4
Nagoshi, J.L., Nagoshi, C.T., & Brzuzy, S. Gender and sexual identity: Transcending feminist and queer theory. London: Springer.
Olmstead, S. B., Pasley, K., & Fincham, F. D. (2013). Hooking up and penetrative hookups: Correlates that differentiate college men. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 42(4), 573–583.
Ravenhill, J. P., & de Visser, R. O. (2017). “There are too many gay categories now”: Discursive constructions of gay masculinity. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 18(4), 321.
Reilly, A. (2016). Top or bottom: A position paper. Psychology & Sexuality, 7(3), 167–176.
Rivière, C. A., Licoppe, C., & Morel, J. (2015). Gay casual hookups on the mobile application Grindr. Réseaux, (1), 153–186.
Rosenthal, R. (1994). Interpersonal expectancy effects: A 30-year perspective. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 3(6), 176–179.
Rubin, H.J., & Rubin, I.S. (2005). Qualitative interviewing: The art of hearing data. London: Sage.
Sahertian, D. (2008). Kamus Gaul Bowl. Jakarta: Sinar Harapan.
Schippers, M. (2007). Recovering the feminine other: Masculinity, femininity, and gender hegemony. Theory and Society, 36(1), 85–102.
Shield, A. D. (2018). Grindr culture: Intersectional and socio-sexual. 14.
Slootmaeckers, K. (2019). Nationalism as competing masculinities: Homophobia as a technology of othering for hetero- and homonationalism. Theory and Society. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11186-019-09346-4
Spiller, H. (2012). How Not to Act like a Woman: Gender Ideology and Humor in West Java, Indonesia. Asian Theatre Journal, 29(1), 31–53. https://doi.org/10.1353/atj.2012.0008
Suschinsky, K. D., Bossio, J. A., & Chivers, M. L. (2014). Women’s genital sexual arousal to oral versus penetrative heterosexual sex varies with menstrual cycle phase at first exposure. Hormones and Behavior, 65(3), 319–327.
Szymanski, D. M., Gupta, A., Carr, E. R., & Stewart, D. (2009). Internalized misogyny as a moderator of the link between sexist events and women’s psychological distress. Sex Roles, 61(1–2), 101–109.
Vicary, J. (2007). Peer Reviewed Article Cross-Gender Vocal Transformation. Voice and Speech Review, 5(1), 236–245.
Warriner, K., Nagoshi, C. T., & Nagoshi, J. L. (2013). Correlates of homophobia, transphobia, and internalized homophobia in gay or lesbian and heterosexual samples. Journal of Homosexuality, 60(9), 1297–1314.
Word, C. O., Zanna, M. P., & Cooper, J. (1974). The nonverbal mediation of self-fulfilling prophecies in interracial interaction. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 10(2), 109–120.
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2020-10-31
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