Intersections of Dress, Identity, and Anxiety in the Queer Women's
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AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF Kelly L. Reddy-Best for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Design and Human Environment presented on June 10, 2013. Title: Fashioning Queer Bodies: Intersections of Dress, Identity, and Anxiety in the 4XHHU:RPHQ¶V Community Abstract approved: Elaine L. Pedersen The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of dress and queer women and how their sexual identity influences their appearance management behaviors. I answered the following research questions: (1) How is gender identity constructed and negotiated in different spaces for queer? (2) Does sexual identity influence dress choices of queer women? (3) Where do queer women look for fashion styles and trends? (4) :KDWDUHTXHHUZRPHQ¶VH[SHULHQFHV with shopping for clothing and accessories? (5) Do queer women feel anxiety, pressure, or discrimination from the fashion system and the appearance management behaviors in which they participate due to their sexual identity? To answer my research questions I conducted 20 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 20 queer women living in the United States. After the first interview, each participant completed a short survey and took a picture of their outfit for 14 days. At the end of each week, the participants completed a follow-up interview. I coded the interviews in three phases and looked for emergent themes and patterns. Based on the results of this study I found that there is not one single way of being or becoming a queer women. Most women in the sample did not feel a strong connection to masculinity or femininity. Fourteen women explained they felt in-between or androgynous. Four of the women purposefully rejected WKHWHUPVPDVFXOLQLW\DQGIHPLQLQLW\DQGFODLPHG³JHQGHUTXHHU´)RXUZRPHQ felt a strong connection to either the masculine or feminine identity. One of the women indicated a strong connection to or identification with the so-called femme-butch dichotomy. The 17 participants shifted back and forth in their portrayal of masculinity or femininity depending upon the anticipated future context. Ten participants indicated that they experienced stress or anxiety related to a fear of queer invisibility or being mistaken for straight by other members of the queer community. Four women in the sample related anecdotes about times when they felt discriminated against because of their appearance. Fifteen participants stated that they looked to family members, friends, or people around them for style ideas. Seven of the 15 participants indicated they specifically looked to other queer individuals for inspiration. Eight participants named queer or male celebrities and a ninth identified her father as her style icon. Many participants explained they looked to queer celebrities as style icons. Very few participants reported having ever seen fashion advertisements specifically targeted at queer women. Many of the participants had negative reactions to the queer imagery, or lack there of in media. Participants described a wide variety of shopping experiences trying to find garments that fit, searching for garments in different gendered sections, and interacting with sales associates on the sales floor and in the fitting room. When asked what garments are hardest to find, the participants most frequently responded that they felt frustrated finding any clothing that fit at all. Finding garments that fit is a common issue for many women, notably five of the 12 participants who had trouble finding garments that fit experienced this trouble because they RIWHQVKRSSHGLQWKHPHQ¶VGHSDUWPHQWDQGLWZDVKDUGWRGHWHUPLQHZKDWVL]HWRWU\RQDQGSXUFKDVH A total of 16 participants said that they experienced stress or anxiety when shopping. Sources of stress included body image and size, malls, determining which department to shop in, shopping in the PHQ¶VVHFWLRQDVNLQJIRUGLIIHUHQWPHQ¶VVL]HVDQGXQDYDLODELOLW\RIVW\OHV6HYHUDOSDUWLFLSDQWV experienced subtle acts of discrimination when shopping. When asked if the participant would be more likely to shop in a store that does not separate by gender but by body size and lifestyle, 17 said yes without hesitation; two participants said maybe and one said no. Many queer women in this sample fashioned their bodies by defying gender norms and pushing the boundaries of acceptable appearances in our society. The women in this sample worked each day to showcase their queer identity conspicuously through style and appearance choices or to hide their queer identity by adopting heteronormative styles. For many of the women, managing their queer appearance translated into defying traditional gender identities and expressions. Through this study I brought attention to the multitude of ways queer women experience and navigate the construction of their gender identity and the ways dress is used in this construction. I also highlighted the inequalities in our society for queer individuals and the stress or anxiety this may cause them. © Copyright by Kelly L. Reddy-Best June 10, 2013 All Rights Reserved )DVKLRQLQJ4XHHU%RGLHV,QWHUVHFWLRQVRI'UHVV,GHQWLW\DQG$Q[LHW\LQWKH4XHHU:RPHQ¶V&RPPXQLW\ by Kelly L. Reddy-Best A DISSERTATION submitted to Oregon State University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Presented June 10, 2013 Commencement June 2013 Doctor of Philosophy dissertation of Kelly L. Reddy-Best presented on June 10, 2013. APPROVED: ______________________________________________________________________________________ Major Professor, representing the School of Design and Human Environment ________________________________________________________________ Chair of the School of Design and Human Environment ________________________________________________________________ Dean of the Graduate School I understand that my dissertation will become part of the permanent collection of Oregon State University libraries. My signature below authorizes release of my dissertation to any reader upon request. ________________________________________________________________ Kelly L. Reddy-Best, Author ACKOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank all of the people who helped me form critical ideas and write those ideas on the pages of this dissertation. I want to thank all of the women who participated in this study for opening up their life to me and for trusting me with their personal stories. I thank those who offered grammar advice and I thank the people who gave emotional support during this lengthy process. I especially thank Elaine Pedersen for being my major professor during this process. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page 1. INTRODUCTION««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« Purpose of the stXG\«««««««««««««««««««««««««« Definition of Terms««««««««««««««««««««««««««« 2. LITERATURE REVI(:«««««««««««««««««««««««««««« ,GHQWLW\««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« Symbolic InterDFWLRQ7KHRU\««««««««««««««««««««« Self, Identity, Dress, and the 9LVXDO6LJQ««««««««««««««« Sex, Sexuality, Sexual Orientation, and Sexual Identity: Defining TermVDQG8VDJH««««««««««««««««« Sexual Orientations and Lesbian Identities: Language and DHILQLQJ7HUPV««««««««««««««« Gender and PerforPDQFH««««««««««««««««««««« 4XHHU:RPHQ¶V*HQGHU,GHQWLWLHV««««««««««««««««« ,QWHUVHFWLRQVRI4XHHU:RPHQ¶V*HQGHU,GHQWLWLHVDQG$SSHDUDQFH«««« Queer Women in Market Research DQGWKH0HGLD««««««««««« 7KH4XHHU&RPPXQLW\««««««««««««««««««««««««« A Brief History of the Gay and Lesbian MovHPHQWLQWKH8QLWHG6WDWHV««« Attitudes Towards the Queer Community: +HWHURVH[LVP'LVFULPLQDWLRQDQG$FFHSWDQFH««««««««««««« &KDSWHU6XPPDU\«««««««««««««««««««««««« .. 3. 0(7+2'««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« Paradigm DQG5HVHDUFK$VVXPSWLRQV«««««««««««««««««««« Research ProceduUHV«««««««««««««««««««««««««« Sample««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« Data ColleFWLRQ««««««««««««««««««««««« «« Semi-structured LQWHUYLHZV«««««««««««««««««« Daily dLDU\«««««««««««««««««««««««« Data AnalysLV«««««««««««««««««««««««««« Validity and ReliabiliW\««««««««««««««««««««« Limitations of the MeWKRG««««««««««««««««««««««« 4. 5(68/76$1'',6&866,21««««««««««««««««««««««««« Participant SummDU\««««««««««««««««««««««««« Research QuestioQ«««««««««««««««««««««««««« Connection or Rejection of Masculine aQG)HPLQLQH,GHQWLWLHV««««««« 5HIOHFWLRQRI0DVFXOLQLW\DQG)HPLQLQLW\LQ'UHVV««««««««««««52 Discussion of Gender and SH[XDO,GHQWLW\««««««««««««««« TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page Research QuestioQ«««««««««««««««««««««««««« Self-Presentation After Coming ³2XW´ «««««««««««««««« Self-Presentation and Queer $SSHDUDQFH««««««««««««««« Romantic Relationships and &ORWKLQJ6W\OH«««««««««««««« Anxiety and Stress RelateGWR$SSHDUDQFH««««««««««««««« Discrimination Related tR$SSHDUDQFH«««««««««««««««« Discussion of Sexual Identity Influences on ClothiQJ6W\OHDQG$SSHDUDQFH«« Discussion of Stress, Anxiety, and DiscrimLQDWLRQ5HODWHGWR&ORWKLQJ«««« Research QuestioQ«««««««««««««««««««««««««« Identifying and Adopting Styles and Fashion Trends «««««««««« Perceptions of Queer Fashion AdvertiVHPHQWV«««««««««««««5 Discussion of Identifying and Adopting Styles and Fashion Trends and Perceptions of Queerness in Fashion Advertisements««««««««««« Research QuestioQ«««««««««««««««««««««««««« Shopping ExperiHQFHV«««««««««««««««««««««« The Future of QueerQHVVLQ$SSDUHO6KRSSLQJ««««««««««««« Discussion of Shopping Experiences and the Future of Queerness in Apparel Shopping «««««««««««««««««««««««««««« Summary of Results«««««««««««««««««««««««««« 5. &21&/86,21«««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« ,PSOLFDWLRQVIRUWKH)DVKLRQ,QGXVWU\««««««««««««««««««« ,PSOLFDWLRQVIRU:RUN(QYLURQPHQWV««««««««««««««««««« Recommendations for FutuUH5HVHDUFK««««««««««««««««««