Young people are opening up about issues that affect both men and women.
They are also discussing how the patriarchy and its strictly defined binary gender roles causes harm to those who identify as either male or female.
It started with a tweet by Brent Conner pointing out that boys often suffer with the same issues that girls do. But when popular culture shows these issues in young people, they portray them as a product of overly emotional girls or feminine weakness.
Conner's tweet went viral with many agreeing, but it was when Twitter user @absurdistwords expanded and clarified the topic that things got really interesting.
This message is important. That toxic masculinity has feminized these issues means that boys continue to be told t… https://t.co/5mymfMIvmn— Absurdistwords (@Absurdistwords) 1534514348.0
He went on to expand of this thought in a thread.
It is important to reject false equivalencies. But it is also important to recognize unheard pain. Women and girl… https://t.co/zHi4Yl7ahq— Absurdistwords (@Absurdistwords) 1534529844.0
This principle is a difficult one to navigate, because it requires naming and holding accountable the groups compli… https://t.co/xN08shF9yh— Absurdistwords (@Absurdistwords) 1534530034.0
Patriarchy and toxic masculinity feed off of the generational reinforcement and normalization of unethical practice… https://t.co/hdBDos5CPc— Absurdistwords (@Absurdistwords) 1534530163.0
So when boys cry out "I hurt!" in a world where they feel men telling them that to do so diminishes their masculini… https://t.co/X4oUCPfC7o— Absurdistwords (@Absurdistwords) 1534530376.0
Now it is illegitimate to raise issues affecting boys and men either for the purpose of derailing or silencing femi… https://t.co/eJTrCcG906— Absurdistwords (@Absurdistwords) 1534530480.0
This gap is where the MRA set do their recruiting. Tapping into the real pain of boys without emotional literacy… https://t.co/JdIV6Ywzi4— Absurdistwords (@Absurdistwords) 1534530604.0
We must provide boys with the resources, tools, language, space and safety to discuss their trauma, abuse, fear and… https://t.co/BeECvvvoUo— Absurdistwords (@Absurdistwords) 1534531004.0
People were here for it.
@absurdistwords @michaelianblack Thank you for providing such a beautiful response that recognizes the importance o… https://t.co/D3JAQWuJJ1— Christine C Pounds (@Christine C Pounds) 1534530790.0
@absurdistwords This dialogue is so important. Healthy, well adjusted men experience the broad range of emotions th… https://t.co/8awqFyVt3R— Daniela Battistella (@Daniela Battistella) 1534535734.0
@absurdistwords @emrazz My husband is 48. He is just now learning not only how to emote but more importantly that i… https://t.co/4zD8moEcFo— Bonobobuddy (@Bonobobuddy) 1534559384.0
@absurdistwords @emrazz Actually, this entire message IS feminism. Feminism is all about discarding gender roles an… https://t.co/c3DdxEXEAq— valkmer2 at home (@valkmer2 at home) 1534558659.0
When social media fulfills its purpose of communicating ideas and broadening the discussion, it is truly a beautiful thing.