The Signs of Deaf Female Masculinity: Styles of Gendering/Queering ASL
Temas
Detalles
This chapter merges studies of masculinity with studies of sign language as it analyzes the production of a Deaf masculine style among Deaf female-bodied masculine lesbian ASL signers. The case study demonstrates how these signers produce and reproduce gender through membership and associated forms of participation in their communities of practice. However, signers outside of the community may uncritically also adopt an embodiment associated with masculine signers. With Judith Butler’s theory of performativity in mind, what should we make of ASL learners who are unaware that their signing styles are perceived as masculine? This chapter shows how the existence of diverse “types” of masculinity in fact enables the plurality of gender identities, whether intentionally or unintentionally adopted. The analysis reveals that the theorization of gender is far from simplistic, especially when its performance involves the intersection of bodily movements and signed languages.
En Hall, K. y Barrett, R. (2020), Language and sexuality.