Interrogating the Use of LGBTQ Slurs

Meredith G. F. Worthen, Ph.D. (the University of Texas at Austin, 2009), is a Professor of Sociology, elected faculty member of the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies, and faculty affiliate of the Center for Social Justice at the University of Oklahoma. Her main interests are in the sociological constructions of deviance and stigma, gender, sexuality, and LGBTQ identities, as well as feminist and queer criminology. She is the author of Queers, Bis, and Straight Lies: An Intersectional Investigation of LGBTQ Stigma (Routledge, 2020) and more than fifty academic pieces.

“Worthen provides the first comprehensive review of sexual slurs, the context in which they are used, and the harm that they can cause. By carefully documenting how sexual slurs provide both bonding opportunities for groups in power and work to further stigmatize already stigmatized groups, Worthen charts a new path for queer criminology: one that focuses on the relationships between power, sexuality and stigma. This analysis is a call to action for policymakers and all who care about creating an equitable world.” - C.J. Pascoe, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Oregon“In a historical moment where LGBTQ people across the country face renewed attacks on their lives and their rights in the political and social spheres, Meredith Worthen takes us deep into the ways in which homophobic and transphobic slurs continue to normalize and justify gender and sexual stigma and exclusion. Drawing on survey data, Worthen troubles the popular belief that younger generations will usher in a great age of LGBTQ acceptance, a belief that locates homophobia in “the bad old days” of 1940s Lavender Scare or the anti-gay backlash in the 1980s AIDs crisis. Interrogating the Use of LGBTQ Slurs examines and unpacks the continued deep-seated resistance to LGBTQ lives and identities that many people–including many young people –feel in the U.S. today, and shows the impact of slurs on the safety and mental health of minoritarian subjects.” - Kristen Schilt, Director for the Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Chicago“Interrogating the Use of LGBTQ Slurs is a necessary and important intervention in contemporary debates about sexuality and gender inequality. Worthen shows that anti-LGBTQ slurs remain a ubiquitous feature of U.S. society. Turning her analytical gaze on these slurs, Worthen helps us to understand their harmful effects and, ultimately, to dismantle their use. This book is a must-read for scholars and advocates alike who hope to one day live in a society free of anti-LGBTQ slurs.” - Doug Meyer, Assistant Professor, Department of Women, Gender & Sexuality, University of Virginia“Interrogating the Use of LGBTQ Slurs: Still Smearing the Queer? provides a powerful example of how queer criminology can help us understand and combat stigma through a critical interrogation of the impact of LGBTQ slurs and their role in perpetuating discrimination and violence. Building on a diverse set of theoretical frameworks drawn from sociology, queer criminology, and legal scholarship, Worthen demonstrates how queer criminological frameworks can successfully challenge hetero-cis-normative systems that allow slurs to flourish. This nuanced and contextual analysis illuminates the complexities of LGBTQ slurs and offers a variety of recommendations aimed at cultivating a more supportive environment for LGBTQ populations. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the vital role of queer criminology in combatting LGBTQ stigma.” - Aimee Wodda, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice, Law and Society, Pacific University“This book is one of the most important works of queer scholarship that is out there. In Interrogating the Use of LGBTQ Slurs: Still Smearing the Queer?, Worthen provides a much-needed look at LGBTQ slurs and their harms. Groundbreaking in the field of Queer Victimology, Worthen offers the Theoretical Model of LGBTQ Slur Use which she uses to explain how LGBTQ slurs and derogatory language are part of a wider set of processes and systems that allow for certain groups to maintain power over others and secure the ‘gatekeeping’ of gender and sexuality norms. Through its contribution to theoretical criminology, this book demonstrates the significance queer criminological scholarship within the wider fields of victimology and criminology.” Shelly Clevenger, Chair, Department of Victim Studies, Sam Houston State University

• Chapter 1: IntroductionChapter 2: Defining and Explaining LGBTQ Slur UseChapter 3: LGBTQ Slur Usage and Norm-Centered Stigma TheoryChapter 4: “Fag”/“Faggot”Chapter 5: “Dyke”Chapter 6: “Tranny”Chapter 7: “Queer”Chapter 8: “No Homo”Chapter 9: “That’s So Gay!”Chapter 10: Key Findings and ImplicationsAppendix