aradialspire wrote:
Many of my subs have been your traditional, masculine dominant males in their regular lives!
We have many archetypes of the "manly" submissive, like the majordomo or the knight errant. A man can serve without being feminized or parted from his masculine identity.
For many men on that side of the slash, it's a pressure release. A place to let go and be free. That's why I always joke that having a male submissive is like taking a tiger for a walk; it can change its mind at any second and maul you, but it chooses not to.
That's why it's fun 😈
This.
I've taken both roles over the years. And it has been the most amazing fun when I've dominated men. I always felt there was a knife edge. A war of sorts between their masculinity, and their submission. And it was interesting discussing that with those men. Sometimes, I feel men on the scene who bluster about their dominant nature etc are a little like men who are homophobic. The bluster is, hmm, not quite a denial, but a lack of imagination and willingness to explore perhaps another facet of their sexuality. Or perhaps a lack of understanding that submission doesn't necessarily negate or diminish masculinity.
I think there has been a great shift away from what women see as masculine too. Less about brawn, strength, and the 'hunter' traits. More about what the horsey folk amongst us might call 'passive leadership'. Quiet competence, dependability, consistency. There has been a huge shift away from gender trait stereotyping.