Masculinity Quote by Mitch Kellaway
““The term “FTM-Butch Border War” just sounds like an alien land of yore. How is it that the gravitational pull of my beard and low-voice should hold [my lesbian friend's] masculinity in deferential orbit? That when standing side-by-side we are supposedly read in comparison, rendering her unalterably more feminine—shorthand, in patriarchal societies, for “lesser than”? Masculinity has more than enough space to spare. But sometimes its flesh-and-blood vessels act as if we have to wound each other for it, like dogs fighting over too few scraps. Anyway, [she] and I know without speaking that in reality, right here and right now in our present moment, that she and I are two different sides of the same coin; two keys sung for the same tune." - from "Snapshots: "Sharing Space with Women," Original Plumbing Magazine 2014””
About This Quote
Source Magazine: Original Plumbing, “Snapshots: Sharing Space with Women,” 2014
The quote reflects on gender dynamics, noting that masculinity and femininity are socially compared, yet ultimately complementary and interdependent.
In simple terms: Gender roles are socially compared but are two sides of the same coin.
Recognize shared humanity beyond gender labels.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- friendship
- activism
- personal reflection
- media analysis
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you experience gender comparison in daily life?
- What can shift the narrative from competition to collaboration?
May overlook individual agency within structural constraints.