Sometimes having The Conversation No One Else Is Having can be exhausting. Creating real change requires that others join the conversation.
But many times, there are people who are unable to do the self-examination necessary to break away from the yoke of cultural institutions like The Man Box. This often shows up as denial and deflection. And that denial and deflection is designed to stop change in its tracks. If you talk about male violence, they come back with “not all men” or “what about female violence?”
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This is what happens when the mild-manned Mark Greene gets pushed a little too far with this kind of stuff:
Kind of losing my temper with how goddamn careful I’m told to be about how I language male violence. I was the target of male violence for most of my young life. I’ll say whatever the fuck I want to say about it.
— Remaking Manhood (@RemakingManhood) May 28, 2019
The gender conversation really does require nuance and thoughtfulness but DAMN. Enough with men being defensive about male violence and abuse when 80% of violence is perpetrated by men.
— Remaking Manhood (@RemakingManhood) May 28, 2019
You can’t spin that shit. So stop trying. Yes, women commit violence against boys and men. Do I have to tattoo that on my forehead before we’ll discuss the issue of violent men without all the side chatter? We traumatize boys and men in man box culture. They become violent.
Don’t like ads? Become a supporter and enjoy The Good Men Project ad free— Remaking Manhood (@RemakingManhood) May 28, 2019
It’s time to intercede for boys and men who are under constant bombardment by man box culture. “Don’t be a sissy,” “Boys will be boys” and “man up” is creating epidemic levels of isolation for men. It’s killing us and we’re killing each other. Enough.
— Remaking Manhood (@RemakingManhood) May 28, 2019
Have the fucking conversation.
— Remaking Manhood (@RemakingManhood) May 28, 2019
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Introduction by Michael Kasdan.
Photo Credit: Flickr/Creative Commons (Erich Ferdinand)