Kopano on Unruly Bodies

In this workshop I write to and about my body. I look into the eyes of a stranger and think of funny, not so funny things to say while noticing the shadow cast on my partner’s face as she recedes away from me. And then returns. The volume of her voice increasing and making it harder to pay attention. Often, I think about how easy it is for me to sometimes “take up space” in spaces where I am the only traditionally male presenting body in the space, even though I don’t necessarily identify with masculinity in the traditional sense it is definitely inscribed onto my body. This makes me scared. What does it mean for a body like mine that is easily misgendered and both unfairly privileged and discriminated in public space to be “unruly”. To summarize, I fear the violence that bodies that are read like mine have the capacity to bring into the world and am not sure how to be “unruly” in a way that doesn’t activate an unchecked toxic masculinity. Yikes!

- by Kopano Maroga