A lot of posts on here seem to be about issues that women face (which are of course valid) so, I thought I would make a take about some issues that men face because of societal standards, expectations or pressure.
I would like to preface by saying that writing this take does not mean that either gender has it worse. We all have to face some type of issue because of these standards. The most important thing we can do is listen to one another when these issues are brought to light, and do anything we can to help fix these issues. With that being said here are some things that men have to deal with.
Unrealistic and Stereotypical portrayals of men in media.
There is generally only two types of men in media, you have your sport loving, beer chugging, deadbeat dad type or you have your world saving, woman squealing, superhero type. Not very much in between, and of course these do not paint a very realistic picture of the majority of real life men. Men are put into a box of either being an aggressive type, the man of the house and if you aren't that you are a simp, pussy-whipped. In reality men can be strong, and they can be sensitive when needed, they are complex, kind, funny, nurturing, and communicative. A variety of personality traits, as it should be.
Relationships.
When you think of men and relationships a lot of people will only associate men with sexual relationships. A father can't even kiss his daughter on the head without a weird look from society. A grandfather can't comfort his grandchild at a funeral without people yelling pedophile. The inaccurate claim that men and women cannot just be friends because a man will always have sexual feelings towards any woman he knows. A loving relationship with any human being mother, father, friend, grandparent, child, co-worker shows strength.
Sports.
There is no denying that sports is male dominated. It shows the very basis of traditional masculinity, power and strength. But with great power comes great sacrifices. Injuries such as concussions in NFL players bring the topic of mental health discussions (concussions can cause depression and worsen already prevalent mental illnesses). Unable to take family time because you are in a high-paying, high-profile job and people are counting on you for their sports fix. Not to mention the sexual assault that is swept under the rug, the bullying, power struggles and homophobia that are not addressed in sport.
LGBTQ+
Men tend to get short end of the straw when it comes to homophobia, transphobia and biphobia. This idea that somehow being a man loving man makes you less of a man, or struggling with your identity makes you weak. What is a "real" man? the LGBTQ+ community has made great progress but protecting our trans men, gay men, and bi men is something we definitely need to work on.
Parenting.
Women are still seen as the default parent. Stay-at-home dads are often seen as slackers, lazy, losers which is far from the truth. These men want to be a part of their children's lives and not every man in a household is the "bread winner" sometimes it just works out better for the person with the least income to stay at home, and no earning less than your partner does not make you less of a man. Women get far more support than men on how to parent, they get more benefits, men are frowned upon and questioned when they want to take paternity leave. There is also enormous difficulties for men in divorce and custody battles. Nothing will change if men are only seen as financial providers that aren't capable of nurturing.
Death, Injury and SA.
Men are until very recently been automatically placed last to exit a sinking ship. Women and children first. Men are more likely to take on dangerous jobs, thousands of lives are lost in war, coal mines, sewers, rail roads and far more work places that are taken for granted. The lack of discussion about sex trafficking of men and those who are being exploited for manual labor. We treat men as disposable. We hardly ever talk about male sexual assault and rape victims and what we can do to help them.
These were just a select few issues that men face. It's incredibly hard to find resources on how to help men. So i ask men, how can we as women, as a society help break the cycle of toxic masculinity and masculine societal norms? What tips can you give us to better support you?
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