The Fight against Toxic Masculinity

First of all, let’s say what it’s not like. No one claims that all masculinity or that men themselves are toxic or bad. You are free to enjoy things that men stereotypically like with no judgment — sports, cars, and the opposite sex. There is nothing wrong with these things. Toxic masculinity entails the desire to compete aggressively and control others. It is also a constellation of socially regressive male characteristics that serve to foster domination, devaluation of women, homophobia, and wanton violence.

Toxic masculinity revolves around cultural pressures for men to act in a certain way which often affects all boys and men in some fashion. When it derives from a rejection of the perceived opposite, femininity, that is so pervasive as to become unhealthy for both men and those around them.

Women and children are frequently victimized by toxic masculinity through abuse and its other types. But, men are also victimized by it as well. Toxic masculinity stunts their cognitive, intellectual, and emotional growth and this damage is part of what fuels the victimization of women. When men deliberately avoid vulnerabilities, act on homophobic beliefs, ignore personal traumas, or exhibit prejudice behaviors against women, it then contributes to many larger societal problems such as gender-based violence, sexual assault, and gun violence. Masculine traits that are considered ‘toxic’ include using or threatening violence, controlling, acting aggressively, and suppressing emotions against others. Stereotyping values and feeling emotions to women, men and boys are taught to reject an essential part of themselves, something that is supposed to be valued. Moreover, these allegedly female traits like compassion, empathy, and politeness are often the things that help us all get along in society. However, a man or boy displaying these characteristics may be found ridiculous.

Each person should aspire to a sound definition of his or her own individuality and work towards achieving it. Toxicity focuses on these exaggerated masculine traits. Moving beyond toxic masculinity starts by redefining what it means to be a man which is allocating space for them to freely discuss their personal feelings about certain issues in order to enlighten and help society re-shape their own definitions of what and how it is to be a man.

Article Writer, Vernon Velasco.