ABSTRACT
People who are relatively unfamiliar with skinhead culture are surprised to learn that there are gay skinheads. The gay men's presence in the movement gives rise to discussions about masculinity, fetish aspects of skinhead dress and style, and debates about who can claim to be an authentic skinhead. This chapter explores each of these issues through an examination of research, evidence from the web/social networks, and interviews to determine why gay men become skinheads, their acceptance within the skinhead community, and the extent to which gay skinheads challenge skinhead identity. It discusses the fetish appeal of the skinhead look to gay men and how it can draw gay men into the skinhead movement. At the same time, the fetish nature of the skinhead look has contributed to the creation of fashion skins. M. Healy also notes that within the gay skinhead scene, class and being working class, was not as important as it was among straight skinheads.
