I’m done. These two words have become a sort of mantra for Billy Porter. Done with toxic masculinity, done with the denigration of femme men, done with subduing his fabulousness for the sake of employment. Porter, whose velvet tuxedo dress became of the talk of the 2019 Oscar’s red carpet, is an actor, dancer, and…
Will Leitch, the founder of Deadspin, recently published an article for NY Mag entitled “It Might Be Impossible to Be an Ethical Sports Fan” in which he captures how confusing sports fandom has been in recent years. He describes the joy of watching Jason Collins become the first openly gay NBA player, the “mental gymnastics”…
Comedy can be an incredible tool for furthering social justice by challenging seats of power and shining light on uncomfortable truths. Alternatively, comedy is often wielded by those with power—straight white men—to perpetuate oppression and discrimination by picking on people marginalized by society; by punching down. In Hannah Gadsby’s Netflix special, “Nanette,” the Tasmanian comic squares her…
Terry Crews one of the first celebrity men we highlighted on The Bridges We Burn. Even before self-identifying as a survivor of sexual violence, Crews has used his platform as a celebrity to speak out against toxic masculinity. Perhaps more importantly Crews has been an active embodiment, model, and be a vocal proponent for healthy masculinities. In this…
Little one don’t be a fool, I’m a wreck when I look mighty. In Euphoria I’m bruised, In confusion next I’m lightning. In complacence I am small, through oblivion I’m charged. – “Follow My Way” by Chris Cornell, 1999 ~~~ Title 18 of the United States Code, Section 1464, prohibits the utterance of any obscene,…
If someone had said mental health to me, the first thing that came to mind was mental toughness. Masking pain. Hiding and keeping it in. That’s what was embedded in me since I was a kid. Never show a sign of weakness. It’s funny because now I know [mental health]’s the total opposite. It’s being…
Editor’s Note: I am excited to introduce New Voices on Masculinities, a series of original content written for The Bridges We Burn, in which author’s explore topics related to their identity. The first author in the series is musician and educator, Matt Bogdanow. ~~~ On February 1st, 2015, I watched the New England Patriots––my hometown heroes––defeat the Seattle…
Apologizing can be one of the most difficult acts, and one of the most powerful in showing our ability to empathize, to care, and to hold ourselves accountable. Apologies are often empty words, focusing on intention rather than reception. When we acknowledge that we were wrong–regardless of intention–that we hurt someone, that we acted out…
