User:Thenerdiestninja/sandbox

Current Article: Queer coding

My contribution would focus on artwork from the early 20th century with has queer coded characters in the media. I will first give context to visual clues we would find in artwork, specifically what queer individuals wore at the time and how those items made their way into art. As of now, I will be using books/articles that address the mannerisms and appearance that will give context to the media that was queer coded.

Intended New Article: Queer Signaling (current article does not exist)

I intend to create a new article that covers the topic of queer signaling, or those in the queer community using clothing, mannerisms, and coded phrases to ‘signal’ to other’s in the queer community. As this is a new article, I will write some of the introduction, a paragraph about effeminate gay men (known as ‘fairies’) in the 1920’s, and lesbians in the 1940s-50s.

Intro:

Queer signaling refers to the different methods that individuals in the LGBTQ+ community use to ‘signal’ that they are part of the queer community, predominately through appearance, mannerisms, and coded phrases. These sorts of cues were used throughout history and into modern day by individuals to communicate (either subtlety or explicitly) to others in the LGBTQ+ community; this could include expression of sexuality, sexual intentions/wants, or gender identity. Queer signaling is also used to express their sexuality or gender to those outside of the queer community.

Body

1920’s

• ‘Fairies’ (or Effeminate Gay Men)

New York City, especially districts like the Bowery and Harlem, became a hub for queer culture and development in the early 20th century. It is during this time period that gay men would sometimes assume a more effeminate appearance and/or adopt traditionally feminine mannerisms to catch the attention of other gay men and take the ‘female role’ in any sexual interaction; men who presented this way were called ‘fairies’. (Chauncey pg. 48-50). Outside of simply dressing in a traditionally feminine manner, ‘fairies’ would also wear certain articles of clothing to communicate their sexuality with the rest of their otherwise ‘normal’ outfit; wearing red ties or neckerchiefs out in public is a rather famous example, was known as a queer signal by fairies, but mostly amongst the queer community, as opposed to those who did not identify as queer (Cole pg. 32-33).

1940’s/1950’s

• Lesbians

   During and after WWII, lesbianism became more apparent and began to have more representation, which led to certain appearance choices by lesbians to communicate their sexuality and find other lesbians. Most lesbian relationships followed the ‘butch/femme’ model, where ‘butch’ lesbians dressed in traditionally masculine attire and often had their hair short while ‘femme’ lesbians presented more ‘womanly’ (Kraus pg 37). In her book Her Neighbors Wife: A History of Lesbian Desire Within Marriage (Politics and Culture in Modern America), Lauren Jae Gutterman points out that not all lesbians were ‘butch’ or ‘femme’ all the time; in the case of Della Sofronski, who was married and also had a lesbian lover, looks every part of a typical housewife in some photos with her family, but is also seen in other photos wearing more masculine attire, but for a party rather than everyday. (Gutterman, pg. 57-58). More often, butch lesbians would wear pieces that were more masculine (like a button up shirt) in addition to ‘normal’ outfits to subtlety express themselves. Even articles of clothing that weren’t considered masculine could be used to express their identity; in the case of Carmen Vascones (who identified as a butch lesbians) felt that wrap skirts were best way to express her sexuality, and butch lesbians in her school also wore wrap skirts, so i became a way for them to identify each other. (Genter, pg 610)

*Citations will be done properly once the article is more complete, current format is temporary

(Sources to be used as of now)

Chauncey, George. Gay New York. Basic Books, 2019.

Cole, Shaun, and Mike Etc Cole. ’Don We Now Our Gay Apparel. Berg Pub Limited, 2000.

Kraus, N. (1996). Desire Work, Performativity, and the Structuring of a Community: Butch/Fem Relations of the 1940s and 1950s. Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, 17(1), 30–56. https://doi.org/10.2307/3346893

Alix Genter. (2016). Appearances Can Be Deceiving: Butch-Femme Fashion and Queer Legibility in New York City, 1945–1969. Feminist Studies, 42(3), 604–631. https://doi.org/10.15767/feministstudies.42.3.0604

Her Neighbor’s wife.