You searched for masculinity - Everyday Feminism

After leading my students, all high school seniors, on a field trip to a local domestic violence (DV) organization to get a better understanding of intimate partner violence (IPV), I didn’t expect to be the one to leave with an epiphany. On the bus ride back to school, I messaged my ex who had been…

In many cases, monogamy is used as something that is constantly threatened, rather than as an agreement between two people who love each other and want to love only each other.

This article originally appeared in The Huffington Post. It was lightly edited and reposted here with the author’s permission. Google “toxic masculinity” and you’re likely to stumble across Ben Shapiro’s National Review article The ‘Toxic Masculinity’ Smear, where he discusses the Left’s war on masculinity and manhood. If you can power through the part where he…

Donald Trump, mass shootings, police violence. What’s the danger of toxic masculinity? For an answer, look no further than this review of 2016.

This article was originally published in RESIST, a publication that is no longer in print, and cross-posted here. (Content warning: animal exploitation; examples of sexism, ableism; descriptions of women in sexually or domestically abusive situations) The animal rights community has a serious exploitation problem. I am never surprised to hear when a non-vegan believes that…

“How do you be you?” These trans men shared about their childhoods, struggles, and what masculinity means to them, and we can all learn something from their insightful reflections.

In our gender binary world, it can be hard for butch folk to just be themselves. This amazing photo collection by Meg Allen shows how butch is being proudly reclaimed and expressed.

I want to see a masculinity where love, power with, and compassion replace dominance, power over, and violence — a masculinity where some of those good messages I learned from the men in my life endure while leaving behind the destructive things that hurt me and so many other male-identified people. In short, we need a new way to understand ourselves as men.

Male socialization runs so deep through our veins. For many, the shame of not having money, the shame of not being able to provide, collapses upon every other facet of our lives. Few of us speak the shame. Few of us hold the shame, look at it, and let it be within us but not of us. Few of us know how.

We sometimes think that issues of sexual entitlement and objectification are purely a problem with men, but the reality is masculine women do it, too. As I’ve become more vocal about my masculinity, my feminism has had to change from a feminism of solidarity to a feminism of recognizing that I’m different, and I that need to own that and change my behavior.

How can you build a healthier masculinity for the new year? Challenging these damaging parts of the toxic masculinity status quo is a good start.

“I’ve always felt like a man, but I’m not sure I’ve always been like a ‘manly man.’” These testimonies are so moving – and so necessary.

A person, looking somber, rests their head in their hand while looking down.

Society’s idea of what makes a “real man” creates toxic expectations for men. Here’s the disturbing result, with a promising idea for how we can change the traditional – and violent – definition of masculinity.

From a young age, boys are bombarded with images of the traditional model of masculinity as being strong, ready to fight, sexually entitled, and emotionless except for anger. And while many men aren’t violent, many fear being called “gay” or “girly” if they deviate from that norm too much. Here’s some ways to help your son develop his own sense of healthy masculinity.

I recently wrote a piece on my personal blog that highlighted seven men who are transforming masculinity, and I was blown away by how well it resonated. In reflecting on the post, I realized that it was so popular because it touched on an unfilled need. We need to talk about what a more inclusive masculinity could actually look like beyond “Real men cry, too.”

I have gone from being a big, strong looking Black woman to being a young, lanky Black man. I have always carried with me both masculine and feminine energies, but I have often been forced to choose one over the other depending upon the space around me. The gender binary affects us all in detrimental ways. And while masculinity may seem to offer more room, it also has its limitations. We must make room for all genders to grow and move freely.

He’s a genderqueer trans man who knows how many aspects of masculinity can be toxic. And he’s learned some great lessons on the other possibilities that exist for masculinity.

A set of illustrated beards, set against a light blue background

This author doesn’t give a shit about football – and that’s not the only way he doesn’t fit what society says being a straight man means. All men should read this account of breaking free from the pressure.

Person in a suit jacket, tying on a bow tie

Do you recognize any of these sexist ideas in your own queer community – or in your own thoughts?

Young person dressed masculinely, talking on a cell phone, looking serious

Maybe you’ve heard it, been asked it, or wondered about it yourself: Why do queer women and lesbians date masculine-presenting women instead of just dating a dude? Here’s an answer.