These Simple Phrases Are Harming All of Us and Here’s How We Can Stop It (Video)

Why “man up” and “you play like a girl” are devastating to everyone.

This video just hit me in the gut in the best way. When we use gendered insults or tell men they can’t express their emotions, it harms everyone because it’s like a disease; it will pass from father to son, from friend to friend if we don’t stop the cycle.

There is hope. As the video says, if you challenge those destructive words and you give healthy, uplifting words that encourage people to be exactly who they are, it will spread like wildfire.

According to the video‘s description:

Sexual violence isn’t just about rape or physical harassment. It begins when we hurt people through the words we use and attitudes we carry. Stereotypes of what it means to be a man or woman—for instance, boys should do physical activities and girls need to be “ladylike”—can limit our worth and potential, and create an unequal balance of power that perpetuates sexual violence.

In Texas alone, nearly 13% of all Texans have been sexually assaulted—that’s nearly two million people, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 20 men. While this remains a big problem, we can Break The Box in Texas. By pledging to do our part to stand up against rigid thinking that box women and men in, we can help to create a Texas free of sexual violence.

If you are looking for some practical and positive ways to contribute, read “10 Responses to the Phrase ‘Man Up’” and “25 Ways to Redefine the Phrase ‘Man Up’”.

HT to Julie Gillis for sharing the video!