Mirrors and Mascs

All relationships are mirrors - if we choose to look. It can start by taking in a simple phrase as simple as “hello”...and then looking into another’s eyes to catch a flash of the facets that comprise their being - and our own. Even if we are guarded, we are shown that a foggy or broken mirror still reflects - even if the clarity of the image is blurred and veiled - for now at least.  Letting down one’s guard can feel impossible for many reasons. In this particular image, two masculine beings are being depicted as stepping into vulnerability, reflection, and connection. Still in the United States in 2025 (and certainly many places in the world) systems of patriarchy, misogyny, sexism, heterosexism dictate those assigned male at birth embody particular traits to avoid being violently punished. Boys and men are taught to take control, be independent, not show vulnerability, and to “muscle through” whatever troubles them. They are told that their soft bodies are not works of art - are sex