ABSTRACT
Women and men can inhabit and adopt a variety of femininities and masculinities. Some of these confer prestige and power, others are stigmatized and subordinate. This chapter considers three kinds of subordinated masculinities and femininities. First, I look at what it means to resist being a stereotypically macho male, and consider what is at stake for young men attempting to live outside dominant forms of masculinity. I then go on to discuss a group of girls and young women often regarded as being outside of the feminine: those who excel at physical education and sports. Finally, I consider the situation of lesbian and gay students and teachers. These individuals have to survive in the largely homophobic world of the secondary school, while inhabiting masculinities and femininities that do not conform to compulsory heterosexuality.
