«Las plumas son para las gallinas»: Masculinity, effeminophobia and discretion among men

Abstract

The starting point for this paper is the premise that there has been a masculinization of men identified as homosexuals as of the second half of the twentieth century. This has involved a transformation of the model of male homosexual desire that has implied a rejection of attitudes and behaviors considered as effeminate, which are known as pluma or plumas in Spain. After three years of ethnographic experience in several Spanish cities, in chats and hookup apps for men, night clubs and sports centres, I have used my participation in the app Wapo to show how certain ideals related to masculinity and discretion, as well as discourses against effeminate men, hegemonize interaction in these kinds of settings. I also show the differences observed regarding these regulations depending on geographical proximity to what I have called epicenters of gayness. In addition, I analyse different ways in which the men I have interviewed experience these normativities. Finally, I argue that effeminophobia is a form of gender control among men that serves to recover the symbolic capital associated with masculinity and thus preserve the social privileges associated with manhood.