This Book is Gay

Chapter 4 deals with stereotypes surrounding the LGBTQ+ community, subverting some and exploring nuggets of truth in others. Dawson hopes that over time, LGBTQ+ representation will become better, and stereotypes will lose their power. She begins the chapter by debunking a long list of stereotypes within a chart. Dawson lets her survey respondents speak for themselves on how stereotypes have affected them personally; all of the respondents cited have had negative experiences due to stereotyping.

Dawson differentiates between subcultures and stereotypes. Sometimes stereotypes contain truths about subcultures (Dawson’s example is that some gay men do like Beyoncé), but stereotypes always flatten and dehumanize the people at whom they are aimed. A subculture is a collection of behaviors, beliefs, presentations, etc. with which a group of people identifies. Dawson presents several LGBTQ+ subcultures that are used to categorize gay men and lesbians. While stereotypes can be made up about bears (larger, hairier gay men) or butches (lesbians who cultivate more masculine appearances), these are subcultures in the LGBTQ+ community that people actively identify with.

Dawson explains the term “camp” and why it is usually a negative stereotype attached to gay men. Camp is used to describe anything excessive, flamboyant, and (usually) feminine.