Handsome, Strong, and Non-tradionally Masculine
Continuation or Resurrection?

It's been over two years since AfterEllen.com staff writer Malinda Lo decried the End of Butch Chic. Centering her eye on thhe tantalizing Vanity Fair August 1993 cover phot of supermodel Cindy Crawford giving a "shave" to k.d. lang, Lo argues that this image "is one of the best-known images of a butch lesbian ever produced," but summarizes the article by sadly stating, "her kind of butch has gone out of style."

And perhaps that's true...as goes mass media. 

We all note that the essence of true masculinity is the type of potent elixir advertisers hope to market, in everything from colognes and clothing to careers and cars. Defined by advertisers hitting target consumers, the "male mystique" is ready at a glance, in the outdoor gear of Field and Stream; the cut of the suit and coiffure in Esquire; the waxed brows and poreless skin of GQ; the line of the jaw and coiled musculature of Men's Fitness.

But where have the tantalizing images of butches, Aggressives, studs, FtMs, male-identified intersexed individuals, and other nontraditionally masculine individuals gone?

As a photographer—and, admittedly, as a queer femme—I loved that photo of k.d. lang with Cindy Crawford. It's stylish; it's hip; it's out; it's provocative and enticing. I just don't think we need to look to supermodels or platinum-selling recording artists to find that kind of raw chemistry.

"lang's status as the lesbian icon of the day was firmly cemented by the time Vanity Fair published its cover," Lo writes, "so in a way, being able to point to lang and say 'that’s a lesbian' blunted the impact that the image had on the public. It was okay for one woman to look like that, but only that specific woman."

I respectfully disagree. For three years now, I've been photographing nontraditionally masculine individuals. They've been my lovers, my friends, and my community members. At the point when growing interest was expressed in my work, I began Claiming Masculinity: Narratives from Bodies of Difference, a photo project documenting the lives of the masculine individuals I most respect and admire.

The project continues, bringing in participants from every ethnic background and type of experience. While I continue to work with individuals on the northern East Coast, I'm making arrangements for further funding to travel, expanding the parameters of my work across the nation.