Sissy
Encyclopedia
Sissy is a pejorative
term for a boy
or man
who violates or does not meet the traditional male gender role
. Generally, sissy implies a lack of the courage
and stoicism
which are thought important to the male role
. A man might also be considered a sissy for being interested in traditionally feminine hobbies or employment (for example going to meditation sessions, cooking, etc..), for displaying effeminate behavior (for example, saying "mua mua" before hanging up the phone or using creams -especially in the office), for being unathletic, or for being homosexual.
Sissy is, approximately, the male converse of tomboy
(a girl with "unfeminine" traits or interests), but has none of the latter's positive connotations. Even amongst gay men, behavior thought of as sissy or camp produces mixed reactions. Some men reclaim the term for themselves. (See also genderqueer
.)
The term sissyphobia denotes a prevailing negative cultural reaction against "sissy boys". Sissyphobia has more recently been used in some queer studies
; other authors in this latter area have proposed effeminiphobia as an alternative term.
formed from sister
, given to girl
s to indicate their role in the family, especially the oldest female sibling
. It can also be applied to girls as a term of affection from friends who are not family members. See Sissy Spacek
.
wrote that sissyphobia arises as combination of misogyny
and homophobia
.
but is not considered transgender by many transgendered people, infantilist, and BDSM
communities (especially through forced feminization or petticoating practices).
In the BDSM practice of forced feminization, the male bottom
undergoing cross-dressing
may be called a sissy as a form of erotic humiliation
, which may elicit guilt or sexual arousal, or possibly both, depending on the individual.
In (paraphilic) infantilism, a sissy baby is a man who likes to play the role of a baby girl.
Pejorative
Pejoratives , including name slurs, are words or grammatical forms that connote negativity and express contempt or distaste. A term can be regarded as pejorative in some social groups but not in others, e.g., hacker is a term used for computer criminals as well as quick and clever computer experts...
term for a boy
Boy
A boy is a young male human , as contrasted to its female counterpart, girl, or an adult male, a man.The term "boy" is primarily used to indicate biological sex distinctions, cultural gender role distinctions or both...
or man
Man
The term man is used for an adult human male . However, man is sometimes used to refer to humanity as a whole...
who violates or does not meet the traditional male gender role
Gender role
Gender roles refer to the set of social and behavioral norms that are considered to be socially appropriate for individuals of a specific sex in the context of a specific culture, which differ widely between cultures and over time...
. Generally, sissy implies a lack of the courage
Courage
Courage is the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation...
and stoicism
Stoicism
Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium in the early . The Stoics taught that destructive emotions resulted from errors in judgment, and that a sage, or person of "moral and intellectual perfection," would not suffer such emotions.Stoics were concerned...
which are thought important to the male role
Role
A role or a social role is a set of connected behaviours, rights and obligations as conceptualised by actors in a social situation. It is an expected or free or continuously changing behaviour and may have a given individual social status or social position...
. A man might also be considered a sissy for being interested in traditionally feminine hobbies or employment (for example going to meditation sessions, cooking, etc..), for displaying effeminate behavior (for example, saying "mua mua" before hanging up the phone or using creams -especially in the office), for being unathletic, or for being homosexual.
Sissy is, approximately, the male converse of tomboy
Tomboy
A tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of the gender role of a boy, including the wearing of typically masculine-oriented clothes and engaging in games and activities that are often physical in nature, and which are considered in many cultures to be the...
(a girl with "unfeminine" traits or interests), but has none of the latter's positive connotations. Even amongst gay men, behavior thought of as sissy or camp produces mixed reactions. Some men reclaim the term for themselves. (See also genderqueer
Genderqueer
Genderqueer is a catch-all term for gender identities other than man and woman, thus outside of the gender binary and heteronormativity...
.)
The term sissyphobia denotes a prevailing negative cultural reaction against "sissy boys". Sissyphobia has more recently been used in some queer studies
Queer studies
Queer studies is the critical theory based study of issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity usually focusing on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people and cultures. Universities have also labeled this area of analysis Sexual Diversity Studies, Sexualities...
; other authors in this latter area have proposed effeminiphobia as an alternative term.
Term of affection toward women
Sissy (or sis) can also be a relationship nicknameNickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
formed from sister
Sibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
, given to girl
Girl
A girl is any female human from birth through childhood and adolescence to attainment of adulthood. The term may also be used to mean a young woman.-Etymology:...
s to indicate their role in the family, especially the oldest female sibling
Sibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
. It can also be applied to girls as a term of affection from friends who are not family members. See Sissy Spacek
Sissy Spacek
Sissy Spacek is an American actress and singer. She came to international prominence for her for role as Carrie White in Brian De Palma's 1976 horror film Carrie for which she earned her first Academy Award nomination...
.
In queer studies
Gregory M. HerekGregory M. Herek
Gregory M. Herek, Ph.D. is a researcher, author, and professor of psychology at the University of California at Davis . He has conducted extensive research on prejudice against sexual minorities, and coined the term sexual prejudice as a replacement for homophobia to describe this phenomenon...
wrote that sissyphobia arises as combination of misogyny
Misogyny
Misogyny is the hatred or dislike of women or girls. Philogyny, meaning fondness, love or admiration towards women, is the antonym of misogyny. The term misandry is the term for men that is parallel to misogyny...
and homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
.
In sexual subcultures
Sissy takes on more specific meanings in the transgenderTransgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
but is not considered transgender by many transgendered people, infantilist, and BDSM
BDSM
BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
communities (especially through forced feminization or petticoating practices).
In the BDSM practice of forced feminization, the male bottom
Bottom (BDSM)
In BDSM, a bottom or submissive is the partner in a BDSM relationship or a BDSM scene who takes the passive, receiving, or obedient role, to that of the top or dominant....
undergoing cross-dressing
Cross-dressing
Cross-dressing is the wearing of clothing and other accoutrement commonly associated with a gender within a particular society that is seen as different than the one usually presented by the dresser...
may be called a sissy as a form of erotic humiliation
Erotic humiliation
Erotic humiliation is the consensual use of psychological humiliation in a sexual context, whereby one person gains arousal or erotic excitement from the powerful emotions of being humiliated and demeaned, or of humiliating another; often in conjunction with sexual stimulation of one or both...
, which may elicit guilt or sexual arousal, or possibly both, depending on the individual.
In (paraphilic) infantilism, a sissy baby is a man who likes to play the role of a baby girl.
See also
- BubbaBubbaIn American usage, bubba is a relationship nickname formed from brother and given to boys, especially eldest male siblings, to indicate their role in a family. For some boys and men, bubba is used so pervasively that it replaces the given name...
- CowardiceCowardiceCowardice is the perceived failure to demonstrate sufficient mental robustness and courage in the face of a challenge. Under many military codes of justice, cowardice in the face of combat is a crime punishable by death...
- TomboyTomboyA tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of the gender role of a boy, including the wearing of typically masculine-oriented clothes and engaging in games and activities that are often physical in nature, and which are considered in many cultures to be the...
- Butch and femmeButch and femmeButch and femme are LGBT terms describing respectively, masculine and feminine traits, behavior, style, expression, self-perception and so on. They are often used in the lesbian, bisexual and gay subcultures...
- Girly girlGirly girlGirly girl is a slang term for a girl or woman who chooses to dress and behave in a traditionally feminine style, such as wearing dresses, blouses and skirts, and talking about relationships and other activities which are associated with the traditional gender role of a girl.-History:The term is...
- Molly houseMolly houseA Molly house is an archaic 18th century English term for a tavern or private room where homosexual and cross-dressing men could meet each other and possible sexual partners. Molly houses were one precursor to some types of gay bars....
- Sissy (transgender)Sissy (transgender)A sissy is a man who crossdresses, adopts hyper-feminine behaviors, and engages in stereotypical "feminine" activities , often within the context of BDSM. Particularly within the BDSM community, a "sissy" will typically assume the submissive role to a dominant female and/or male partner...
Further reading
- Padva, Gilad and Talmon, Miri (2008). Gotta Have An Effeminate Heart: The Politics of Effeminacy and Sissyness in a Nostalgic Israeli TV Musical. Feminist Media Studies 8(1), 69-84.
- Padva, Gilad (2005). Radical Sissies and Stereotyped Fairies in Laurie Lynd’s The Fairy Who Didn’t Want To Be A Fairy Anymore. Cinema Journal 45(1), 66-78.
- Jana Katz, Martina Kock, Sandra Ortmann, Jana Schenk and Tomka Weiss (2011). Sissy Boyz. Queer Performance. thealit FRAUEN.KULTUR.LABOR, Bremen. http://www.sissyboyz.de