The Intersectional Male

CULTURE

The key to where global consciousness is and where it could go.

Few historical figures are as divisive as Jesus. The 45th president of the United States comes close, but even he would agree that Jesus is probably #1. In pop culture today, the very idea of masculinity — of maleness itself is divisive. It seems as if division is the dominant energy in the world today. In a male-dominated society, that is an unsurprising observation. Still, it is worth noting given the topic of this piece is the intersectional male.

Intersectionality has been in vogue since Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw popularized the term in the 1990’s, and it has become even more familiar in the recent wave of social justice advances. Professor Crenshaw used the word to connect the dots between how marginalized people, specifically women and people of color, experience oppression in similar ways and different degrees when those attributes are combined in one human. In other words, a black woman statistically deals with a greater degree of discrimination than a white woman or a black man. The intersection of gender and race creates an overlap of oppressions.

Take a moment to visualize the intersection of two roads in your town. Do you see stop signs or a traffic signal? Are the cars taking turns moving forward? Do some vehicles make a turn? An intersection is literally a place of crossing. Keep this image in mind as we turn our attention to the other side of the story.

One of Jesus’ less well-known but most critical public statements is recorded in the Gospel of John, chapter 17. Jesus says,

In this short prayer, Jesus reveals that he doesn’t believe there must be any separation between God and humanity, and, perhaps, most surprisingly that there need not be any separation between human and human.

Intersectionality is an essential bridge between where global consciousness is and where it could go. The intersectional male is the key. Consider the male form. It is quite literally designed to unite two beings as one. When the male and female forms connect, multiplication is possible. The male injects life into the female, and the two, quite literally, become one (or two in the case of twins).

Remember that road you visualized? What really happens there is connection. One perspective could be that the main road is divided by another. An intersectional perspective is that one road connects to another. While we are designed as intersectional beings, we are not able to survive as factions. The many things that divide us are really things that enhance us.

The intersectional male connects with the emotional awareness and creativity of the feminine. He provides a bridge of fortitude that creates an atmosphere where the whole flourishes. In a sense, the intersectional male is not intersectional at all — he is whole. The whole male is aware of the tiny screw that holds the skyscraper together as he is of the vastness of the tower itself. He knows that a brain cell and a galaxy look the same when adjusted to the same size. He is conscious of the extremes as he navigates through the in-betweens.

The 45th president is a prime example of an intersectional male — extraordinarily privileged and yet immensely insecure; unimaginably wealthy, and still relatable to the commoner; aloof and in touch at the same time. He had an uncanny ability to engender loyalty and adoration, creating one of, if not the most unified movements in American history. This type of intersectionality is rooted in division — the separation of the whole into various parts.

Jesus is also a prime example of an intersectional male — born in a manger and yet completely self-assured; poor and still able to obtain favor with the elite; empathetic to humanity’s woes and unwavering in his standards at the same time. He had an uncanny ability to engender loyalty and adoration, creating one of, if not the most radical movements in world history. Still, he died on behalf of his followers. This type of intersectionality is rooted in wholeness, in oneness — the unifying of various parts into one body.

Unity inevitably causes some of those who have been privileged to feel disenfranchised. Losing an advantage can feel much like oppression. Similarly, universalizing oppression can feel like a dismissal. Perhaps, this is where the heart of intersectionality beats — in the tension of opposites, the pressure of being held together without prongs, having compassion amid personal suffering.

Sure, the intersectional male’s avatar could be an androgynous figure that seamlessly integrates masculine and feminine energies. It could be a white Muslim, black Hindu, or gay evangelical. The intersectional male could be the billionaire businessman fervently advocating for higher taxes, a higher minimum wage, and universal healthcare.

The identity of the road isn’t lost in the intersection. Peach Tree Avenue is still Peach Tree Avenue when it intersects with Peach Tree Road (Atlanta residents get the humor). A black man is still black, whether wealthy, gay, republican, or president of the united states. Coming to terms with our identities’ multifaceted reality allows us to meet in the middle and admire the peripherals.

As a final point, allow me to suggest that the intersectional male is you.

Whether you are female, other gender, or male, it’s still you. Just as the intersections of city streets make the world smaller, the intersectional male’s truth connects us all. When a line is drawn, the intersection creates the space for a circle to include each of us.

©Will Rucker 2021

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