Jack Ferry

JACK FERRY

It is the connotation of the word male that’s the problem at the moment. I’ve never really agreed with a lot of the stuff men do. It is hard fitting into that group, but also there are so many good people on that side as well. I feel uncomfortable relating men to someone like Donald Trump. He is the antithesis of a person. Everything that is wrong with any person can be exemplified in him, but it is not rare that it is a man that is the problem.

Danielle Goodland

Saying I am a man is a bit odd. It’s not the first thing that I jump to unless I’m filling in a legal document. The idea of masculinity is super poisonous. When you are told you are a man, a lot of the time you have to aspire to be a certain thing. It is the same for women. This whole idea of two binary, sh*tty, gender stereotypes. You always have to try to ascribe to something and then you are disappointed when you do not live up to it. I feel like I am very anxious and shy and not very forthright. There’s that horrible machismo thing where you have to stand up to people and shout and all that. I always feel like I fall short of the mark. You have to be in charge, in control, you have to know what’s going on at all times. It’s very strange. The times are changing for the better, but I feel like a lot of people are stuck in the 50’s and 60’s with the ‘breadwinner’ role and all that. I don’t know if masculinity should be anything. It’s such an outdated concept. It’s all about bravery and standing up for what you believe in, but women do that constantly. It’s not a binary thing.

I always feel like I fallshort of the mark.

I went to school with a lot of people who are big in the EDL scene at the moment. I’m from the countryside, which is either super hippy and progressive, or far-right and terrifying. I feel like a lot of men just love that kind of thing; men in power taking it back to the good old days, which didn’t really exist. I feel like I get left out but, when I think about it, I’m perfectly fine with being left out from that group of people. Often, I feel left out of jokes and when I get the jokes, I don’t want to because they’re kind of disgusting. I feel left behind a lot when it comes to masculinity and men, especially if you look at popular culture and all the muscle-bound men. For me, the comparisons started at around 10 years old, which is disturbingly young to be upset with who you are as a person. It’s really weird getting left out of something you don’t agree with. You should stick to your morals and that’s great, but then you are kind of left on your own. Thankfully, I’ve met a lot of people who feel the same, who have a moral compass.