I get excited each time I’m notified John Pavlovitz published a new blog post. He authored a book entitled Stuff That Needs to Be Said — I agree, he says a lot of important things. He and I come from different backgrounds and yet we share many values — which are the centerpiece of his writings. Below, find 2 of his recent writings about the state of our boys and men.
Teenage Boys, This is How To Be a Real Man
Our Sons Deserve Better Than the GOP’s Example of “Manhood”
There is no shortage, thankfully, these days of articles about the impact of Toxic Masculinity. The collateral damage John Pavlovitz is referring to is real – and it is deadly.
Thanks to Vogue and The New York Times for these pieces:
Toxic Masculinity is Killing Us
“The horrific execution of five women inside a bank in Florida should have made more headlines, but it became just another instance of misogyny leading to gun violence in America.”
“The concept has been around forever. But suddenly, the term seems to be everywhere. So what does ‘toxic masculinity,’ or ‘traditional masculinity ideology,’ mean? Researchers have defined it, in part, as a set of behaviors and beliefs that include the following:
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Suppressing emotions or masking distress
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Maintaining an appearance of hardness
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Violence as an indicator of power (think: “tough-guy” behavior)
In other words: Toxic masculinity is what can come of teaching boys that they can’t express emotion openly; that they have to be ‘tough all the time’; that anything other than that makes them ‘feminine’ or weak. (No, it doesn’t mean that all men are inherently toxic.)”
I want to scream from every rooftop….rooftops of houses where little boys live, little girls and teen boys live, buildings where policies are shaped, school rooftops, doctor office rooftops, everywhere — we must teach our boys it is healthy to express their emotions and how to do so – or, the collateral damage will grow and our boys’ growth will continue to be stifled.
whatsaboymom 