Between Normalization and Heteronormativity: The Construction of the Homosexual Identity

By Laura Mellini
English

The Western societies show today more openness and tolerance toward homosexuality. However, the social order remains strongly heteronormative. Now, as the heterosexual presumption still has great resonance, homosexuals have to engage themselves in a complex identity construction. How is the homosexual identity constructed in such a social context ? How it is socially managed ? These are the main questions of this paper, which proposes to discuss dimensions involved in the homosexual identity construction process, conflicts that may arise, as well as identity strategies developed to cope with them.

Keywords

  • HOMOSEXUALITY
  • NORMALIZATION
  • HETERONORMATIVE ORDER
  • DOMINATED SEXUALITY
  • HOMOSEXUAL IDENTITY
  • IDENTITY CONFLICTS
  • IDENTITY STRATEGIES
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