The Social Process of "Passing" to Manage Stigma: Acts of Internalized Oppression or Acts of Resistance?

Authors

Valli Kalei Kanuha, University of Hawaii

Abstract

In order to manage social stigma, some individuals construct and enact a social interaction strategy known as passing, which is "a performance in which one presents himself as what one is not" (Rohy, 1996). Based on interviews with lesbians and gay men of color, this article suggests that the process of passing is not based upon a rejection of stigmatized identity, but situationally employed to resist social oppression.

Recommended Citation

Kanuha, Valli Kalei (1999) "The Social Process of "Passing" to Manage Stigma: Acts of Internalized Oppression or Acts of Resistance?," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 26: Iss. 4, Article 3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.2606
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol26/iss4/3