Inclination is Flattening
Digital Photocollage
2026
The inclination to love is natural, unwavering. It moves beyond calculation — an impulse, a natural act of self preservation and self actualization combined. It is the foundation of civilization, of romantic love, the giving of oneself to another. It is what makes us human.
For gay men, while this impulse is no less real, no less urgent, no less necessary, the obstacles set in place by an intolerant dominant culture to flatten it are formidable. A complex system of strategies — social, political, religious, cultural — designed to keep gay men separate and silent. Alone. This is what happens when inclination is flattened. It will not hold.
