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Men's Liberation
This community is first and foremost a feminist community for men and masc people, but it is also a place to talk about men’s issues with a particular focus on intersectionality.
Rules
Everybody is welcome, but this is primarily a space for men and masc people
Non-masculine perspectives are incredibly important in making sure that the lived experiences of others are present in discussions on masculinity, but please remember that this is a space to discuss issues pertaining to men and masc individuals. Be kind, open-minded, and take care that you aren't talking over men expressing their own lived experiences.
Be productive
Be proactive in forming a productive discussion. Constructive criticism of our community is fine, but if you mainly criticize feminism or other people's efforts to solve gender issues, your post/comment will be removed.
Keep the following guidelines in mind when posting:
- Build upon the OP
- Discuss concepts rather than semantics
- No low effort comments
- No personal attacks
Assume good faith
Do not call other submitters' personal experiences into question.
No bigotry
Slurs, hate speech, and negative stereotyping towards marginalized groups will not be tolerated.
No brigading
Do not participate if you have been linked to this discussion from elsewhere. Similarly, links to elsewhere on the threadiverse must promote constructive discussion of men’s issues.
Recommended Reading
- The Will To Change: Men, Masculinity, And Love by bell hooks
- Politics of Masculinities: Men in Movements by Michael Messner
Related Communities
!feminism@beehaw.org
!askmen@lemmy.world
!mensmentalhealth@lemmy.world
What's especially unfortunate is that it's not just men that perceive it negatively. I'm reminded of Brené Brown's Ted Talk quote: https://youtu.be/psN1DORYYV0?t=16m37s
Great talk, I recommend it too!
I'm sure you meant femininity and not feminism.
I'm sorry for what happened to you. :( I hope you're doing way better now.
However, there isn't just one way to be a man. I think that's the narrow perception that the concept of masculinity creates.
You don't have to be any special way or have to do anything special to "be a man". Just be.
For centuries, men have been defined through wars and combat, were dominant, violent, and were the main bread winners of the house and were considered the smarter of the two sexes. And women were considered lesser beings, unintelligent and unable to make important decisions like voting, and weaker. They were expected to be servile and it was allowed to give them corporal punishment if they do much as talked back. Men were at the top and women were at the bottom. That's why any man who wasn't didn't have the set of characteristics that made them masculine were often bullied and laughed at. Through feminism however, women had nowhere to go but up and thrive.
Suddenly, men weren't the dominant, smartest bread winners and violence became frowned upon. What was traditionally masculine or the set of characteristics that defined men, also applied to women and some became negative attributes. The lines between femininity and masculinity became blurred.
Women evolved and redefined what it meant to be a woman. And it's basically to just be yourself and do your best to be a good role model. And honestly that could apply to anybody. Not just women.
We need to stop trying to define "what it takes to be a man" and just be. Anyone who doesn't accept that is doomed to stay in the past and not evolve with the rest of society and live in constant frustration.
That's it there, as a younger man most of the relationships I've been in end around 1-3 months in when I start trusting them and open up more emotionally. They almost always start ignoring me, ghost me or tell me it's not working out.
It makes you really just lose confidence in yourself as a person, when you're reserved they want you they want your body, once you open up and you're vulnerable even once everything changes all of the sudden.
I'm lucky to have a girlfriend who doesn't think like that, the fact that she is part of LGBT community probably helps.
and here I am wishing I could even find someone who wants me at all, even if it was only for my body
Gym
yeah, I've been hitting the gym since February. hopefully it will count for something some day.