Shame and misinformation, along with antiquated and toxic ideals of manhood and masculinity, feed a culture of silence surrounding men as victims of sexual violence. In a powerful and devastating personal history written for the New Yorker, acclaimed writer Junot Díaz reveals that he was raped as a child. Diaz then details years of struggles, with…
Anxiety manifests in a number of ways. For those of us who struggle with it, our coping mechanisms can be as unique as the people who experience it. For Toronto-based Chris Grady, father of two young children, and elementary school teacher, creating short, sweet, and thoughtful webcomics has become one outlet for his anxiety. Featuring short interactions…
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…
Patriarchy limits the range of acceptable emotions that real men are allowed to express. And the means for expressing those emotions are equally small. What this means is that we–collectively, as a society, even well meaning liberals and feminists–often misinterpret, or project our internalized patriarchy upon men and boys. Here are a few examples of what…
The expectations of toxic masculinity–and normative masculine gender socialization–takes a toll on men and boys in a variety of ways. This is by no means an argument for minimizing or re-centering the discourse on rape culture away from women, girls, queer folks, people who are gender-non-conforming, and other marginalized communities and individuals. But in order to…
In a culture that mandates isolation, and suppression of emotions, asking for help is an act of revolution. Suicide is reaching epidemic levels in the United States–as in many parts of the world, especially the Global North. While CDC reports highlight that girls and women often attempt suicide at higher rates, boys and men are…
bell hooks asserts that the only emotion men are empowered to express in patriarchal culture is anger. Boys are not encouraged to feel and express a range of emotions, and are often told that fear, sadness, insecurity, or loneliness are signs of weakness and “unmanly.” As a result, many men grow up not knowing how…
