Abstract

The hegemonic hetero-sexual masculinity is represented in almost everywhere, and in this arenas, males are presumed to be straight and hold stereotypically masculine beliefs, attitudes, and values unless and until they present themselves as other. Queer masculinity while representing this otherness indicates as ways of being masculine outside hetero-normative constructions of masculinity that disrupt, or have the potential to disrupt, traditional images. ‘Queer masculinities of straight men’ do not have similar representation as it actively disrupts both hegemonic hetero-sexual masculinity and homosexuality at the same time. It suggests queering of hetero-masculinity in a way in which straight men disrupt the dominant paradigm of the straight-masculine. We do not have language that gives legitimacy to these lived experiences. The partners of the queer protagonist from the films Arekti Premer Golpo (2010) and Chitrangada (2012) provide a thought provoking site to discuss queer masculinities of straight men. They queer their identities by having queer partnership with the protagonists for a significant amount of time while projecting themselves as heterosexual and hetero-masculine men having hetero-normative companionship with female partners. Their presence in the narratives expands the conceptualization of straightness, masculinity, and homosexual desire. Thus, writing this article is an attempt to explore the very notion of what is legitimized as being hetero-masculine and being queer. Why do we need this? Hope it will allow us to ‘trouble” both gender and sexuality and “turn the volume up” by acknowledging the broadest possible range of what exist.