Terry Crews doesn’t necessarily look like what we think of when someone says, “feminist.” All the more reason that Crews is an adamant messenger of feminist values, actively working to disempower stereotypes of masculinity. Crews challenges the notion of male pride in an effort to encourage empathy and understanding. By challenging the concept of gender…
Like David Bowie before him, Prince helped liberate masculinity from rigid gender stereotypes and constraints by embodying a fabulous, sexy, and defiantly non-conforming identity. Prince’s identity was maybe perfectly summated in his 1984 song,“I Would Die 4 U,” which features the lyric: “I’m not a woman. I’m not a man. I’m something that you’ll never…
Feminism looks differently to each of us, and there is not shortage of ways that individuals can enact and embody their feminism. For Alan Rickman, feminism meant “common sense,” and looked like fairness, respect, and honoring the contribution of women, recognizing that he was a better man and artist when surrounded by the best people,…
Bowie was a cultural icon, but he was also a person. And that person was accused of rape, and sexual assault of a minor. So what is to be said about a person after they pass who on the one hand provided a a creative outlet and a lifeline for queer folks and trans* folks,…
In an expose spanning more than 30 years, NY Magazine gives voice to the 35 women who have accused Bill Cosby of drug-induced rape and sexual assault. As this piece highlights, women and victim/survivors of sexual violence are too-often silenced and ignored, especially when their perpetrators are celebrities or popular within their social circle. The…
With the powerful call to action, “If not me, who? If not now, when?” Emma Watson launched the campaign HeForShe, a project of UN Women, seeking to further efforts around gender equality by engaging men and boys. There is plenty of room for critique of the UN system, and the efficacy of such a top…
As actor Rob Lowe is preparing to say goodbye to his son after dropping him off at college his freshman year, he asks himself, “When was the last time my heart was breaking?” An honest, humble, and emotional insight into one father’s experience with his son. – Brett Goldberg Read the article via Slate.
Former NFL defensive lineman turned motivational speaker and life-skills coach, Joe Ehrmann, provides a succinct, powerful, and informative presentation on hegemonic (or toxic) masculinity. Ehrmann explains that the phrase “be a man” makes up the three most harmful words every man/boy hears throughout their lifetime. He outlines the traditional view of masculinity as harmful, by requiring…