ABSTRACT
This chapter explores “dyke” as an insult used against people who are perceived as masculine and/or lesbian women and integrates a discussion of this slur's reclamation and contentious position both in and out of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. First, a description of the “dyke” slur and its history are provided. Then, current research about the use of the “dyke” slur is discussed. Next, descriptive statistics are given. Following this, Norm-Centered Stigma Theory (NCST) is used to investigate the sociological patterns of “dyke” slur usage with survey data collected from adults ages 18–64 that was stratified by U.S. census categories of age, gender, race/ethnicity, and census region (N = 3,104; n = 1500 cisgender men and women; n = 1,604 LGBTQ people). To conclude, a summary of key findings that integrates the previous literature while also highlighting the unique contributions of the text is offered.
