A naked man lies in the corner of a washroom, his legs parted, chained, and raised above his head as another man wearing a kilt crouches in front of him.
This is a photograph I can barely make sense of. Derek Isme suggested it, writing to say that, “This picture has a lot going for it: it’s colorful, sexy, rough, and full of life and erotic possibilities.” There’s certainly a lot going on here, and I note that many classic gay male fetish objects have been included in the scene, notably denim (by the jeans of the man on the right), leather (by the chaps on the man on the left), and the very obvious focus on anal play. There isn’t actually a lot that strikes me as masculine submission in this photograph, although what is there is clearly being enjoyed. Despite the seeming paradox, submission is a personal act that I believe needs to be personally rewarding to be appreciated, and often this can be accomplished by having fun with it. We do call it “play” for a very simple reason, after all.