Honorable Discharge

The American military has been an organization in which many men have identified with a strong, masculine, exterior. In most ways, this role conflates the masculine persona with “doing,” “action,” “might,” and “performance.” These qualities create an action-based perception of self-identity and leave out the many softer expressions of the man as a whole. Moreover, in porn, black men typically play stereotypical roles that don’t reflect the complexities of real people having real sex. During a phone conversation, Dillon said, “I like the idea of having sex on camera the way I do in real life. The sex I enjoy is more romantic, more sensual.” And this video becomes an opportunity to show that - in contrast with both the military backdrop and the expectations of viewers. In sex, men often elevate a subsequent and dramatic performance of socialized “power” masculinity rather than a true expression of their authentic eroticism. Eroticism comes from within. It is born from an intrinsic sense of self, one’s own emotional landscape, boundaries, and the determination to ask for what one wants. Honorable Discharge eroticizes and glorifies nurturance as preeminent in our proposed model of power.