"Fag" is arguably one of the most damaging slurs a queer man could hear, so then, why do queer cis men use "fag" as an insult? In the current study, I argue that queer cis men may shame "others" as "fags" when they perceive them as not meeting the standards of cisnormative masculinity. The "fag/faggot" slur is theorized as a foil to masculinity and cisnormativity using a conceptualization of The Queer Adjustment wherein queer cis men's efforts to assert and affirm their own social power are a part of a process that involves stigmatizing and disciplining those they perceive as not masculine enough ("fags"). Data from a sample of U.S. adults aged 18-64 stratified by U.S. census categories of age, gender, race/ethnicity, and census region collected from online panelists (N = 2,880) are used to test Norm-Centered Stigma Theory with a focus on cisnormativity, perceptions of masculinity, and intersecting experiences with social power as they relate to the use of the "fag/faggot" slur. Findings show that queer cis men report frequent use of the "fag/faggot" slur as well as high levels of cisnormativity and adherence to masculinity norms. Queer cis men's endorsement of cisnormativity is significantly related to their "fag/faggot" slur use when compared to other cis people, but findings flip when using a subsample of LGBPAQ cis people, and queer cis men's investment in masculinity becomes paramount to their "fag/faggot" slur use. By specifically focusing on queer identity, these findings suggest that queer identity may mean something entirely different for cis men than it does for others who identify as queer. Broadly, this research works to expose the mechanisms used to convey LGBTQ hostility so that ideally, we can work toward dismantling LGBTQ slur use. Implications are provided.
