Political commentary on the Jan. 6 insurrection has rightly centered race. The mob was overwhelmingly white, Confederate symbols were on full display, and the mythology of a “stolen election” was fueled by racial grievance.

But this focus often obscures another critical truth: The insurrection was also a gendered act. The vast majority of insurrectionists on Jan. 6 were not only white people; they were white men.

Any serious attempt to understand what happened that day must grapple with the intersection of race and masculinity, and with the cultural meanings attached to male power, entitlement and violence. Yet media coverage routinely relies on gender-neutral language: “people,” “extremists,” “individuals” … as if the overwhelmingly male composition of the mob were too obvious to warrant scrutiny. It isn’t.

The fact that 86 percent of those charged were men offers profound insight into the MAGA movement. Political violence, like domestic violence, is rarely spontaneous. It grows out of belief systems that normalize men’s authority and justify force as a tool for reclaiming control. Until we name and challenge those beliefs, we will continue to misunderstand both Jan. 6 and the ongoing threat to our democracy.