TheStranger.com – by Paul Constant
I’m a straight guy with no interest in sports and almost no body hair. What makes a man masculine? The question led me to a doctor’s office, a therapist’s couch, and a drag bar in Tacoma.
I’ve never been a manly man. I’m not into sports, I’m not good with my hands, and even though I’ve tried to work my body into something resembling good physical condition, I feel like a different species than some of the men you see, the ones out on a nice day jogging or playing soccer. Compared to them, I am a small, unimpressive thing with smoother, softer skin and a more rounded body. I lead with my hips when I dance. I can grow the facial hair of a 14-year-old boy if I don’t shave for a month. The last time I counted – two months ago – I had exactly 37 chest hairs.