Since it’s International Men’s Day, I’d like to take this opportunity to open up the conversation about what it means to “be a man.” In today’s society, what we define as masculinity ultimately has nothing to do with what it really means to be a man. We spread shame and guilt if a man is not big a muscular. We shame if a man sheds some tears. We shame over genital cut and size and we promote guilt if a man has a low sex drive. We say that real men cannot be passive, or vulnerable. We say that men have to be tops, dominant, and a financial head.
These are all characteristics that our society labels unmanly. To me, these characteristics sounds like humanity. It sounds real, authentic, and truly human. The shame and guilt we put in these qualities are toxic. This is toxic masculinity. Help me in my fight to end this, to save our male identities and the rest of our population. My fight is your fight. Happy International Men’s Day