Jimmy Choos vs. Ariats: The presentation of masculinity in the online sex ads of men who have sex with men

The concept of masculinity should be understood in terms of its fluidity. One cannot say that there is a specific white masculinity or a specific straight masculinity; rather, masculinity is constantly changing. The inherent problem of defining masculinity has not deterred researches but has fueled a large and growing body of literature dedicated to studying masculinity\u27s dynamic process of change. For a long time, gay men have been regarded as a group who is incapable of possessing masculinity; indeed according to hegemonic masculinity, gay men must be excluded. However, research has shown that gay men are rejecting this notion and are actively engaged in the creation and synthesis of their own versions of masculinity. This study will examine how a group of gay men are portraying, negotiating, or rejecting aspects of the dominant (hegemonic) masculinity in their personal ads on an online website, ManHunt.net. My examination will use both a qualitative and quantitative approach to investigate how these men differ in their presentation of masculinity along with how the age and location of the men affect the prevalence of the traits seen in the online ads