Chris Colfer, Countertenor, and Unique Maleness

I just saw this episode of Glee last night and once again Chris Colfer blew me away. He possesses what is called a countertenor voice --a male voice that is equivalent to a contralto, mezzo-soprano, or (rarely) soprano. It seems to me he is one of those rare sopranos. My husband watched this with me and said it was interesting that Colfer's voice, while high, is somehow also distinctly masculine. I heard Chris say in an interview that no one would take his voice seriously as a kid because they said it would change. He said it did change--just not very much.

Colfer as Kurt Hummel on Glee is as "effeminate" as a man can be without donning women's clothes and yet he still embodies a unique maleness. I think this is the quality that all writers of gay fiction, male and female, attempt to capture. It's easier to just make our gay heroes alpha males who love men which, i submit, is as big a cop out as chicks with dicks. Gay men are unique and capturing that specialness is both a challenge and a pleasure. Sing it again, Chris.  : )