Masculine of center

The coinage of the term masculine of center is attributed to B. Cole, a race and gender equality activist from Oakland, California, and the founder of the Brown Boi Project.

[1] Cole had identified several similar terms which masculine-leaning queer people of color were using to express their gender experience (e.g. "butch", "dom", "stud", "two-spirit", "macha", etc.)

"[3] The emergence of this umbrella phrase had coincided with the inception of the Brown Boi Project, an activism nonprofit which works in communities to improve the lives of LGBT people of color, and reshape social perceptions of race and gender.

Although the original definition had had only included persons of color, "masculine of center" has evolved in becoming more inclusive, while retaining a more implicit socioethnic connotation.

Although most definitions no longer include racial or ethnic criteria, the term is most frequently used in communities of color, specifically by queer women.

A gender spectrum graph with Masculinity on the Y axis and Femininity on the X axis.
The term masculine of center refers one's position on a gender spectrum. MoC people would roughly fall into the upper left quadrant in this graph.
Logo of the Brown Boi Project
B. Cole, while founding the Brown Boi Project, coined the term masculine of center.
A Gender Expression spectrum. Masc of center identities align anywhere right of the center bar.