Butterflies under Cover: Cuban and Puerto Rican Gay Masculinities in Miami

Life histories of ethnic Cuban and Puerto Rican gay men who live in Miami-Dade County, Florida are examined to explore the strategies men employ to deal with their stigmatized sexuality, their negotiations of gendered self-attribution as they confront Miami's masculinized gay culture, and their reinterpretation of gay stereotypes and their own masculinities over time. Puerto Rican men were more likely to adopt a feminized self-conception and to deal with their stigmatization by moving away from their families. As they consolidated their identities within Miami's gay culture, however, all of the men gradually arrived at a more masculine self-understanding. Key variables in the gender negotiation process include the construction of inherited hegemonic masculinities, as well as the dominant form of masculinity within the local gay community.