Editing Subculture (section)

== Sexual and gender identity-based subcultures ==
{{Main|Sexuality and gender identity-based cultures}}
{{Further|Sexual fetishism|Sexual roleplay}}
[[File:Stonewall_Inn_5_pride_weekend_2016.jpg|thumb|The [[Stonewall Inn]] in the [[gay village]] of [[Greenwich Village]], [[LGBT culture in New York City|Manhattan]], site of the June 1969 [[Stonewall riots]], is adorned with [[Rainbow flag (LGBT)|rainbow pride flags]].<ref name=GayGreenwichVillage1>{{cite web|url=https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/new-york/articles/why-new-york-city-is-a-major-destination-for-lgbt-travelers/|title=Why New York City Is a Major Destination for LGBT Travelers|last=Goicichea|first=Julia|publisher=The Culture Trip|date=August 16, 2017|access-date=February 2, 2019}}</ref><ref name=GayGreenwichVillage2>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/25/nyregion/stonewall-inn-named-national-monument-a-first-for-gay-rights-movement.html
|title=Stonewall Inn Named National Monument, a First for the Gay Rights Movement|last=Rosenberg|first=Eli|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 24, 2016|access-date=June 25, 2016}}</ref><ref name=GayGreenwichVillage3>{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/diversity/stonewall.htm |title=Workforce Diversity The Stonewall Inn, National Historic Landmark National Register Number: 99000562 |publisher=National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior |access-date=April 21, 2016}}</ref>]]

The [[sexual revolution]] of the 1960s led to a [[Counterculture of the 1960s|countercultural rejection of the established sexual and gender norms]] in the [[Western world]], particularly in the urban areas of Europe, North and South America, Australia, and white South Africa. A more permissive social environment in these areas led to a proliferation of ''sexual subcultures''—cultural expressions of [[Heteronormativity|non-normative sexuality]]. As with other subcultures, sexual subcultures adopted certain styles of fashion and gestures to distinguish themselves from mainstream Western culture.<ref name="Hovey 2007">{{cite book |author-last=Hovey |author-first=Jaime |year=2007 |chapter=Sexual subcultures |editor-last=Malti-Douglas |editor-first=Fedwa |title=Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender |location=[[Farmington Hills, Michigan]] |publisher=[[Gale (publisher)|Macmillan Reference USA]] |volume=4 |series=Macmillan Social Science Library |pages=1372–1374 |isbn=9780028661155 |oclc=922889305}}</ref>

[[Lesbian]], [[gay]], [[Bisexuality|bisexual]], and [[transgender]] ([[LGBT]]) people express themselves through the [[LGBT culture]], considered the largest sexual subculture of the 20th and 21st centuries. With the [[Societal attitudes toward homosexuality|ever-increasing acceptance of homosexuality in the early 21st century]], including its expressions in fashion, music, and design, the [[gay culture]] can no longer be considered a subculture in many parts of the world, although some aspects of gay culture like [[Leather subculture|leathermen]], [[Bear (gay culture)|bears]], and [[Chub (gay culture)|chubs]] are considered subcultures within the gay movement itself.<ref name="Hovey 2007"/> The [[butch and femme]] identities or roles among some lesbians also engender their own subculture with stereotypical attire, for instance [[drag king]]s.<ref name="Hovey 2007"/> A late 1980s development, the [[queer]] movement can be considered a subculture broadly encompassing those that reject normativity in sexual behavior, and who celebrate visibility and activism. The wider movement coincided with growing academic interests in [[queer studies]] and [[queer theory]].

Aspects of sexual subcultures can vary along other cultural lines. For instance, in the United States, ''[[Down-low (sexual slang)|down-low]]'' is a slang term specifically used within the [[African Americans|African-American community]]<ref name="Cassell's Dic">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5GpLcC4a5fAC&q=slang+down-low&pg=PA414|title=Cassell's Dictionary of Slang|last=Green|first=Jonathon|date=2006 |page= 893 |publisher=Sterling Publishing|isbn=978-0-304-36636-1|quote=down low n. [1990s+] (US Black) a state of secrecy. down low adj. [1990s+] () covert, secret (i.e. keeping a low profile)|access-date=2008-03-19}}</ref> to refer to [[Black people|Black men]] who usually identify as [[Heterosexuality|heterosexual]] but actively seek [[Men who have sex with men|sexual encounters and relations with other men]], practice [[Cruising for sex|gay cruising]], and frequently adopt a specific [[Hip hop fashion|hip-hop attire]] during these activities.<ref name="Hovey 2007"/><ref name="Am. J. Public Health">{{cite journal |last1=Bond |first1=Lisa |last2=Wheeler |first2=Darrell P. |last3=Millett |first3=Gregorio A. |last4=LaPollo |first4=Archana B. |last5=Carson |first5=Lee F. |last6=Liau |first6=Adrian |date=April 2009 |title=Black Men Who Have Sex With Men and the Association of Down-Low Identity With HIV Risk Behavior |editor-last=Morabia |editor-first=Alfredo |editor-link=Alfredo Morabia |journal=[[American Journal of Public Health]] |publisher=[[American Public Health Association]] |volume=99 |issue=Suppl 1 |pages=S92–S95 |doi=10.2105/AJPH.2007.127217 |eissn=1541-0048 |issn=0090-0036 |pmc=2724949 |pmid=19218177 |s2cid=40119540 }}</ref> They avoid sharing this information even if they have female sexual partner(s), they are married to a woman, or they are single.<ref name="Coming Up from the Down Low">{{cite web|last=King |first=J.L. |author2=Courtney Carreras |title=Coming Up from the Down Low: The Journey to Acceptance, Healing and Honest Love |page=36 |publisher=Three Rivers Press |date=April 25, 2006 |url=https://www.enotalone.com/article/lgbtq/the-cycle-coming-up-from-the-down-low-r5642/ |access-date=2009-12-18 }}</ref><ref name="Secret Gay">{{cite news| last = Johnson| first = Jason|title=Secret gay encounters of black men could be raising women's infection rate| newspaper = San Francisco Chronicle| date = 1 May 2005| url =  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/05/01/MNG4TCID0F1.DTL&type=health| access-date = 2009-12-18}}</ref><ref name="Black masculinities">{{cite book |last=Mutua |first=Athena |title=Progressive Black Masculinities |location=[[New York City|New York]] and [[London]] |publisher=[[Routledge]] |page=169 |isbn=978-0-415-97687-9 |date=September 28, 2006 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=GAzEzR3dap4C&q=%22down%20low%22%2C%20adapted%20by%20a%20subculture%20of%20black%20men&pg=PT197 |access-date=2009-12-18}}</ref><ref name="Outing Hip-Hop">{{cite magazine| last = Bennett| first = Jessica| title = Outing Hip-Hop| magazine = Newsweek| date = May 19, 2008| url = http://www.newsweek.com/id/137380/page/1| access-date = 2009-12-19}}</ref>