Fag hag
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Fag hag is a slang term for a woman who associates mostly or exclusively with gay men. It originated in gay male culture in the United States and was historically an insult, but it can also be used jokingly or in a positive way.[1] Some women who associate with gay men object to being called fag hags,[2] while others embrace the term.[3][4]
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[edit] Usage
Fag hags are sometimes stereotyped as lonely or unattractive women who are seeking a substitute for heterosexual relationships, or who are secretly sexually attracted to gay men.[5][6] In fact, many women who identify as fag hags are already in romantic relationships, either with straight men or with women.[6]
In interviews with gay men and self-described fag hags the most common theme is safety.[citation needed] A rich relationship can develop between a straight woman and a gay man without sexual tension. The fag hag relationship allows the participants to separate intimacy and sexuality.
Comedian Margaret Cho has written about being a fag hag.[4]
Julia Roberts's character in The Mexican developed a fag hag-type relationship with a gay hit man, Winston Baldry, played by James Gandolfini.[citation needed] Another media example is the film The Object of My Affection.[citation needed]
The term fag hag can also mean a gay icon.[citation needed]
[edit] Related terms
Synonyms include fruit fly,[7] homo honey, fruit loop, flame dame and fairy godmother.
In French, the common term for Fag Hag is "Fille à Pédés", literally "Fags girl". It is highly pejorative, and one usually doesn't describe herself as such.
In Japan, the word for fag hag is okoge. It means burnt rice that sticks to the bottom of a pot; okama, pot, is a slang term for a gay man. Although there was a popular 1992 movie entitled Okoge, the term is still not generally known.[8]
The slang terms lesbro, dyke tyke, dyke mike, dyke dork, Dutch boy, dyke dog, or rug doctor have been used occasionally to refer to a male with extensive platonic friendships with lesbians, but this usage is far less common. In the case of lesbians/gay men, the term dyke diva is sometimes used to describe a similar kind of relationship.
A straight man who has a similar affinity with gay men is termed a fag stag, but, again, this usage is rarer.
[edit] Other uses
- Fag Hag (Plume Fiction) by Robert Rodi ISBN 978-0-45-226940-8
- Fag Hag (1988 movie)
[edit] See also
- Grace Adler, a "fag hag" depicted by Debra Messing on Will and Grace
[edit] Notes
- ^ Moon, Dawne (1995). "Insult and Inclusion: The Term Fag Hag and Gay Male "Community"". Social Forces 74 (2): 487-510.
- ^ Matarazzo, Heather. "Who you callin' a fag hag?", The Advocate, March 29, 2005. Retrieved on January 6, 2007.
- ^ Maitland, Sara (1991). "Fag-hags: A Field Guide". Critical Quarterly 33 (2): 19-25.
- ^ a b Cho, Margaret. On Being a Fag Hag. PlanetOut. Retrieved on January 6, 2007.
- ^ Dawne, 492-494.
- ^ a b Thompson, Deborah (2004). "Calling All Fag Hags: From Identity Politics to Identification Politics". Social Semiotics 14 (1): 37-48.
- ^ Newall, Venetia (1986). "Folklore and Male Homosexuality". Folklore 97 (2): 136.
- ^ McLelland, Mark (2000). "Male Homosexuality and Popular Culture in Modern Japan". Intersections: Gender, History & Culture in the Asian Context (3). Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
