IDEOLOGY OF GAY RACIALIST SKINHEADS AND STIGMA MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES*

Journal of Political and Military Sociology, Summer 2006 by Waldner, Lisa K, Martin, Heather, Capeder, Lyndsay

Futrell and Simi define "transformative-prefigurative" as a cultural space that "draws these otherwise unconnected local networks into broader webs of white power culture and identity" (2004:17). Examples of these types of cultural space include large physical gatherings, music festivals, intentional Aryan communities and cyberspace. Because openly gay racialists would not be welcome at face-to-face gatherings of non-gay racialists, the Internet is the main avenue for gay racialists to challenge WP views on homosexuality, while expressing allegiance to other bedrock ideologies. The Internet may be a "cheaper form of affiliation" for WP members suggesting less commitment (Bums, Smith, and Strahm 2000:216) but it also is safer means for individuals who wish to express both homosexual and racialist identities while maintaining their anonymity. While we are aware of the dangers of over reliance on the Internet for information on WP groups, this is a logical first step for exploring gay racialist groups with a cyber presence and the rhetoric used to challenge bedrock ideology.

ANALYTIC STRATEGY

To explore gay racialist rhetoric we examined one static website that has maintained a constant web presence as well as two gay racialist message boards. Static websites without messaging boards offer information on group ideology but do not allow for interaction between group members or an opportunity for researchers to gather additional information. Nonetheless, websites provide a public presence and when properly maintained, provides a low risk method of maintaining a professional image. Successful groups engage in impression management through the use of imagery and rhetoric with leaders chosen in part, on how well these individuals can craft a positive image for the group. With websites a constant presence is maintained without the energy required for a more public performance, risk of exposing individual members, or the possibility of creating a poor impression when individual members make choices that cast negative dispersions on the larger group.

WEBSITES

In spring of 2005 we searched the Internet for gay skinhead groups by typing terms (gay skins, gay racialists, gay neo-Nazis etc.) into the search engine, Google. Using a snowballing technique, we found other sites that were linked to the first. We further refined our search to target websites that were designed to represent groups or organizations" as opposed to a website for an individual. Additionally, we limited our review to websites that were in English. An overview of 164 websites suggests four main categories of gay skinhead sites, which we label gay fetish (n = 28), gay traditional (n = 15), gay generalist (n = 120). and gay racialist in = 1). We are not suggesting that the content of these websites are mutually exclusive. Some websites classified as gay generalist had some erotic content but were not exclusively devoted to gay skin sex. For classification purposes, we looked at the predominant purpose of the public portion of the site. Some websites (mostly gay fetish) had content that could only be viewed with a membership.