Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Sexy Issue: Visual Expressions Of Heteronormativity And Gender Identities In Cosmopolitan Magazine, Michael J. Saraceno, Rachel B. Tambling

The Qualitative Report

The current study used a qualitative image analysis to explore observed interactional behaviors communicated through images printed in Cosmopolitan magazine during the calendar year of 2009 as a means to infer social values . Two general inquiries were used to guide the manner with which behavior was observed: is a heteronormative bias present and what values regarding the expressions of sexual orientation and gender identities can be inferred from these images. The sample consisted of 722 individual images depicting groups of two or more persons. Images were coded for group gender composition, activities engaged in, and physical touch . Results …

(No) State Interests In Regulating Gender: How Suppression Of Gender Nonconformity Violates Freedom Of Speech, Jeffrey Kosbie

William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice

Despite limited growth in legal protections for transgender people, dress and appearance are largely treated as unprotected matters of personal preference. In response, lawyers and scholars argue that dress and appearance are intimately connected to the expression of identity. Nonetheless, courts have generally deferred to the government’s proffered justifications for these laws.

This article refocuses on the government’s alleged interests in regulating gender nonconformity. Using a First Amendment analysis, the article reveals how seemingly neutral government interests are used to single out conduct because it expresses messages of gender nonconformity. This approach avoids impossible questions about the subjective intent of …