CJ Pascoe Book: Hey Dude You’re a Fag: Masculinity and Sexuality in High School

CJ Pascoe Ph.D. spent 18 month of fieldwork in an Alameda County High School to write her book, Hey Dude You’re a Fag. CJ studied the interactions among today’s teens in regard to their gender identity and sexuality. I found this book to be an extraordinarily candid look at how teenagers employ the pejorative use of the term fag to enforce gender stereotypes. It has long been acknowledged that schools have serious issues with homo/transphobia and this book continues to confirm that fact. CJ looks at the deeper root causes as to why youth develop these prejudices and the many examples she uses to underscore her points make for a very good read.

CJ discusses how common high school skits performed in front of the student body reinforces gender stereotypes and homophobia. She relates how subgroups such as the GSA and girls basketball teams reside on different social rungs. She explores the reasons for asymmetry in how lesbians are treat as compared with gay boys.

CJ’s description of the torment that one young boy, Ricky, goes through just because he wants to “dance like a girl” and doesn’t conform to masculine stereotypes, is very reminiscent to what Gwen Araujo had to go through in her high school. Both were called names and bottles, rocks, food, etc were thrown at them. Both were the target of constant harassment and name calling. Both were physically threatened. Both ended up having to leave school functions under the threat of violence. All this happened with little or no teacher intervention. Both left before finishing high school. This is usually the start of a very negative outcome for a young adults. In Araujo’ case it was death.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to have an accurate view of homo/transphobia in high schools today. Click here to order.

I interview CJ Pascoe in my movie. She talks about her research in the Alameda high school she studied and how it applies to the defendants in the case.