The assumption that all men and boys are sexual beings–that they crave sex, require it even, and are always at the ready to have it–not only removes an individual’s agency and right to affirm or deny consent. It also invalidates the specific emotional experience one has connected to sexual experience. Believing that the conquest associated…
“The question remains about how to bring boys and men along in this ambitious work. Male violence is not simply a behaviour that can be turned on or off, but rather an entire complex of norms, values and practices with deep connections to the social, political and economic order. For men and boys, abandoning violence…
A novel that is as beautiful and charming as it is devastating and heartbreaking. Yanagihara follows the lives and friendships of four men who meet as college roommates. At 700 pages, there is nothing superficial or surface-level about the exploration of masculinities and the trials of friendship. I do not want to give too much…
Just as the male-as-neutral form of our language invisiblizes numerous demographics of people, the way that language casually infantilizes women perpetuates rape culture and normalizes sexism. To refer to a woman–a female-identifying person over the age of 18–as a “girl,” is not only disrespectful, treating them as a child, removing agency and autonomy, but it…
Racism in the United States is in many ways a gendered oppression. The threat of rape, specifically of white women, has been used to justify mob violence against black men for centuries. Dylann Roof used the need to protect white women’s purity as justification for opening fire inside a South Carolina church, murdering six black…
Undoing our culture of sexual and emotional violence requires a return to basics, reevaluating of the values and lessons we convey to children. Through stereotypical gender roles, pop culture, and even our language, boys are taught that they have a right to women’s bodies and sexuality; that their value is correlated with sexual experience, while…
Consent is fundamental and foundational. Its also a lot less complicated than many want to make it seem. Consent is about dialogue, and respecting the needs, agency, and autonomy of other people. Consent is the foundation of healthy, happy relationships, and fun, pleasurable sexual encounters. It truly is as simple as offering someone a cup…
In the United States, gender defines far more than how people dress, or the roles they must assume in their intimate relationships. Gender socialization sets the stage for how individuals think and interact with the world around them. In the United States, male gendering socializes aggression, domination, and hatred for women. This paper examines the…